After dropping Virat Kohli on 7, Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Shivam Dube found redemption as he threw the ball in relief after completing a clean catch to dismiss the RCB batter for 28 in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash.
The chance came early. Kohli, on 7, went after Khaleel Ahmed, who pulled his length back. The shot did not come off and went high towards mid-on. Dube ran back but never got into a steady position and put it down. Khaleel sank to his knees with his hands on his head. He knew that one could hurt.
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Kohli was not at his fluent best at the start. The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium’s surface was slower, making timing difficult in the initial overs. There was no boundary in the first three overs, only the fourth such instance in the IPL since 2024. Both Kohli and Phil Salt struggled to find the middle, with balls holding up and falling short of the ropes.
The drop changed the passage of the play. Kohli responded straightaway, taking on Matt Henry for a six over mid-wicket and then hitting a firm boundary down the ground. From 9 off 10 balls, he moved to 24 off 15 by the end of the fourth over and began to look more settled.
For CSK, already under pressure after losses to Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, it was the kind of moment they could not afford. The miss allowed RCB to push ahead after a quiet start.
They needed something to change and turned to Anshul Kamboj. He delivered straightaway. Reading Kohli’s intent to advance, Kamboj hit a hard length and generated extra bounce from the pitch.
Kohli went through with the pull but was not in control. The ball took the top edge and went high towards long-on. Dube, this time in the deep, ran in, got under it early and held on with both hands.
There was clear relief from Dube as he threw the ball away after completing the catch. Kohli was out for 28 off 18 balls, with two fours and a six, and Kamboj had his wicket with just his third delivery.
The wicket came just as Kohli was settling and pulled things back for CSK after the early reprieve.
After two losses to start the season, Ruturaj Gaikwad finally had some luck at the toss in Bengaluru. CSK chose to bowl first as they looked for their first points of the season.
– Ends
Published By:
Saurabh Kumar
Published On:
Apr 5, 2026 20:25 IST
