Virat Kohli scripts history, smashes fastest IPL fifty of his career in final

NEW DELHI: Big players nutrient their champion connected the biggest stage, and Virat Kohli erstwhile again lived up to that estimation successful the IPL 2026 final.With Royal Challengers Bengaluru chasing 156 against Gujarat Titans astatine the Narendra Modi Stadium successful Ahmedabad, Kohli produced a vintage masterclass nether pressure, bringing up the fastest half-century of his IPL vocation successful the acme clash.The RCB prima reached the milestone successful conscionable 25 balls, eclipsing his erstwhile champion of 26-ball fifties against Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals successful 2018. Remarkably, the record-breaking sound came successful his 19th IPL play and connected the grandest signifier of them all.Fastest IPL fifty arrives successful rubric clashKohli had already signalled his intent during a blazing opening concern with Venkatesh Iyer.The duo tore into the Gujarat onslaught and powered RCB to the fastest squad 50 successful IPL last history, reaching the people successful conscionable 3.3 overs and breaking Chennai Super Kings' erstwhile grounds of 4 overs acceptable successful 2023.

Kohli raced distant to 23 disconnected 8 balls, portion Iyer hammered 26 disconnected 13 arsenic the defending champions seized aboriginal power of the chase.However, Gujarat fought backmost strongly. After the opening basal of 62, RCB abruptly mislaid 4 wickets for conscionable 29 runs, threatening to derail the chase.That was erstwhile Kohli switched gears.While wickets tumbled astatine the different end, the erstwhile RCB skipper maintained his composure and continued to find boundaries astatine regular intervals.

His landmark infinitesimal arrived successful the 12th implicit erstwhile helium pulled Arshad Khan for a bound to bring up his half-century. Kohli celebrated with a rise of the bat aft reaching the milestone with 7 fours and 2 sixes.Fastest 50s for Kohli successful the IPL (by balls faced)

Among the fastest fifties successful IPL last historyThe 25-ball sound besides earned Kohli a spot among the quickest half-centuries recorded successful an IPL final.Only Suresh Raina (2010), David Warner (2016) and Venkatesh Iyer (2024) person reached the people faster, each doing truthful successful 24 deliveries.For Kohli, though, the timing made it special.Earlier, RCB's bowlers had laid the instauration by restricting Gujarat Titans to 155 for 8. Rasikh Salam starred with 3 for 27, portion Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up 2 wickets each.But arsenic the unit of a rubric pursuit mounted, it was Kohli who erstwhile again embraced the moment. On a nighttime wherever records continued to tumble, the IPL's top run-machine produced yet different innings for the large occasion.Fastest 50s successful IPL last (by balls faced)