Gavaskar hails Kohli’s century as answer to Gen Next hype

While IPL 2026 has largely belonged to the fearless new generation of batters, legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar believes Virat Kohli reminded everyone that the old guard is far from finished after producing another chase masterclass for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur on Wednesday.

Kohli smashed an unbeaten 105 off 60 balls to guide RCB to a six-wicket win while chasing 193, helping the side reclaim the top spot on the points table. It was Kohli’s ninth IPL hundred and 10th century overall in T20 cricket.

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Praising the former India captain, Gavaskar said Kohli once again showed why he remains one of the greatest match-winners in the format despite the spotlight being on emerging stars this season.

“Virat Kohli was absolutely outstanding against KKR. He knows how to construct a chase better than most. When it comes to T20 centuries, he is third on the list with 10, behind Chris Gayle and Babar Azam. But he is the fastest to 14,000 T20 runs and has nine IPL hundreds. Records are there to be broken, but it will take a very long time for anyone to match what Kohli keeps delivering, game after game, season after season.

“While everyone was talking about this being the season of ‘Gen Next’, Kohli showed he is still around. He silenced the doubters with a century and moved to third in the Orange Cap race. He proved that the old generation is still the best. Even though the young stars are taking centre stage, the experienced greats are not done yet. This hundred from Virat Kohli was one of those special moments that remind us of his greatness,” Gavaskar told JioStar.

Kohli paced the chase perfectly after the early loss of Jacob Bethell and stitched a crucial 92-run partnership with Devdutt Padikkal. He reached his half-century in 32 balls before accelerating in the latter stages to complete his century in the 19th over.

Gavaskar also highlighted Rovman Powell’s dropped catch as the turning point of the game, saying KKR paid heavily for giving Kohli an early lifeline.

“Before this RCB-KKR game, KKR’s efficiency with catches was still the best in the IPL this season, even after dropping a few catches. They were at the top of that table. But this one hurt badly. Rovman Powell, who has taken some stunning catches this season, was fielding inside the 30-yard circle. He had the chance to dismiss Virat Kohli early. He went up high, timed his jump well, but the ball slipped out.

“You cannot drop Kohli early in his innings. He will make you pay every single time. LSG learned that lesson the hard way. Give him an early lifeline, and he grabs it with both hands. He scored a hundred and made KKR regret that drop. That is what great players do. They don’t give you a second chance. They punish your mistakes and turn the game on its head,” Gavaskar stated.