RCB face early pressure as Virat Kohli dismissed for golden duck in IPL 2026

Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced immediate adversity during their chase against Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2026 match at Raipur, as Virat Kohli was dismissed for a golden duck off the first ball of his innings. The dismissal came at the hands of Deepak Chahar, who secured the wicket as Kohli attempted to loft the delivery over mid-off. The ball struck high on the bat and ballooned towards wicketkeeper Raj Bawa, who completed a sharp catch to end the innings opener's hopes.

This dismissal marked a significant statistical milestone for the former captain, recording his second consecutive duck in the tournament. Kohli had previously been cleaned up for a two-ball duck by Prince Yadav against Lucknow Super Giants earlier in the campaign. This sequence of failures represents only the second instance in his IPL career where he has registered ducks in successive innings, a feat first achieved during the 2022 season against Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The momentum shifted decisively in favour of the home side as Deepak Chahar continued his spell with another breakthrough. Striking again in the third over, Chahar removed Devdutt Padikkal soon after Kohli's dismissal, leaving RCB under considerable pressure early in their chase. These two wickets in the opening three overs underscored the difficulty of the Raipur surface, which offered uneven bounce and significant assistance for seamers throughout the evening.

Mumbai Indians built a competitive total of 166/7 after recovering from a disastrous powerplay start. The innings began poorly for the visitors, who were reeling at 28/3 following a vintage new-ball spell by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The spinner dismissed Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav inside the powerplay, setting a difficult platform for the middle order to navigate.

The recovery was anchored by Tilak Varma, who scored a composed fifty off 42 balls, and Naman Dhir, who contributed an important 47. Their performances allowed Mumbai Indians to chase down a difficult Raipur surface and post a total that appeared competitive given the conditions. The innings highlighted the team's resilience after the initial collapse, contrasting sharply with the early struggles faced by the chasing side.

The match statistics further emphasise Kohli's ongoing challenges against specific oppositions. He now holds the record for the most ducks against Mumbai Indians with three, matching his tally against Sunrisers Hyderabad. This latest failure adds to a growing list of statistical anomalies in his career, with two ducks recorded against Lucknow Super Giants, as the tournament progresses into its later stages.