![Virat Kohli with Manish Pandey [Source: X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1778735336449_ViratKohliwithManishPandey.jpg?type=hq)
Virat Kohli with Manish Pandey [Source: X]
A stunning one-handed catch from Manish Pandey and a masterclass century from Virat Kohli combined to give Royal Challengers Bengaluru a thrilling six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur on May 13.
Chasing 193, RCB got home with five balls to spare, with Kohli's unbeaten 105 off 60 balls doing the bulk of the damage.
But for all the batting brilliance on display, it was Manish Pandey's jaw-dropping grab in the deep that had everyone, including Virat Kohli, completely lost for words.
The Manish Pandey blinder stuns Raipur crowd
Late in RCB's chase, Tim David attempted to cut a Kartik Tyagi delivery hard through backward point. The ball came off the bat quickly, and looked straight to head for the boundary.
Pandey stationed at the point was quick as a blitz. Diving full stretch to his left, he plucked the ball out of thin air with one hand, inches above the ground, using his weaker hand.
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The reaction around the ground said everything. Tyagi stood frozen with his hands on his head. KKR players celebrating the wicket looked almost apologetic for what they had just witnessed.
Pandey's reaction time was instant as his dive was perfectly timed, and his grip on the ball was absolutely clean.
Kohli In Disbelief, And Pure Admiration
Watching from the non-striker's end, Virat Kohli's reaction was a sight in itself. He watched with genuine disbelief as Manish Pandey completed the catch. Kohliโs look was the look of a man who could not quite process what had just happened.
Kohli was shocked, and his jaw dropped as cameras panned towards his face. His instant reaction to the catch was almost the same as Tim David, who also felt the catch was extremely unreal.
Later, he marched straight to Pandey and pulled him into a firm hug, a spontaneous gesture of appreciation that needed no words.
RCB Batter Kohli To Captain Kohli In The RCB vs KKR Clash
Virat Kohli has been the elite orchestrator of fitness in the game of cricket. Elite physical conditioning and Virat Kohli go hand in hand.
Kohli, when he was leading the side, transformed the team culture by championing rigorous gym workouts, clean and healthy eating, and high-intensity fielding, which resulted in improved stamina and better reflexes on the field.
He also led by example with his own fitness discipline and used to motivate players who followed the same path as him. Manish Pandey's insane reflex catch almost brought back those golden days for Virat Kohli on the field, as Kohli was in complete awe.
He didn't forget to appreciate Pandey for his superhuman catch, which now rewinds as a nostalgic trip for Indian fans since Kohli lauded Pandey for the mammoth effort by hugging him despite being on the opposite team.
Virat Kohli answers his critics with a century
Meanwhile, coming into this match on the back of back-to-back ducks, Kohli needed a big knock, and he delivered one of his finest T20 innings.
He paced his chase superbly, reaching fifty off 32 balls with five fours and a six, then shifted through the gears to bring up his hundred off just 58 deliveries, finishing unbeaten on 105 with 11 fours and three sixes.
In the process, he became the fastest batter in history to reach 14,000 T20 runs. Virat Kohli was reflective after the game.
"I just love batting. What an honour to be playing at this level. This is all I have done all my life. I want to make the most of every day."
RCB dominate KKR, go top of the table
KKR had set what looked like a competitive total. Angkrish Raghuvanshi anchored their innings brilliantly with 71 off 46 balls, before Rinku Singh's late cameo of 49 off 29 pushed them to 192/4.
RCB's bowlers had done their job well, too. Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rasikh Salam chipped in with a wicket each. But the win ultimately belonged to Virat Kohli, who kept steady to steer the chase.
The result lifted RCB to the top of the IPL 2026 standings, while KKR's already fragile playoff hopes took another serious dent.
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