IPL 2026: Virat Kohli Creates Unwanted Record After Another Duck Against Mumbai Indians

Virat Kohli’s rare lean patch continued on Sunday night after the Royal Challengers Bengaluru opener fell for a golden duck against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.

Chasing 167, Kohli tried to loft Deepak Chahar over the infield but mistimed the shot completely, with Raj Angad Bawa completing a comfortable catch at mid-off. The dismissal stunned the Raipur crowd and handed Mumbai Indians a dream start in a crucial clash.

The golden duck came just days after Kohli had been dismissed for a two-ball duck against Lucknow Super Giants, where young pacer Prince Yadav produced a superb delivery that crashed into the stumps. The back-to-back failures marked only the second time in Kohli’s IPL career that he has recorded consecutive ducks.

Virat Kohli repeats unwanted IPL record after four years

The last time Kohli endured such a rough phase was during the 2022 IPL season. Back then, he registered consecutive golden ducks against Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad in what turned out to be one of the toughest seasons of his T20 career. In IPL 2022, Kohli finished with only 341 runs at an average of 22.73, his lowest return in a full IPL campaign.

What makes the current slump even more surprising is Kohli’s otherwise impressive IPL 2026 season. Before the Raipur match, the veteran batter had already scored 379 runs in 10 innings and remained one of RCB’s most dependable performers despite the team’s inconsistency. His aggressive approach at the top had also attracted praise earlier in the tournament.

Also Check: RCB Vs MI Highlights

Mumbai Indians capitalize on Kohli’s Early Exit But Still Lose

Mumbai Indians made full use of Kohli’s early dismissal as Deepak Chahar and Corbin Bosch ripped through the RCB top order in the powerplay. Devdutt Padikkal and captain Rajat Patidar also departed cheaply, leaving Bengaluru under severe pressure early in the chase.

But Krunal Pandya turned the game around with a match-winning 73 off 46 balls under pressure, anchoring RCB’s chase brilliantly after the early collapse. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rasikh Dar provided crucial late support as Bengaluru held their nerve in a last-ball thriller to chase down 167 and seal a dramatic two-wicket win in Raipur. Earlier, Tilak Varma’s 57 and Naman Dhir’s 47 had guided MI to 166/7, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar starred with 4/23 for RCB.