In IPL, few sights are as captivating as the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium bathed in RCB red. On April 5, 2026, during the much-anticipated southern derby between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the atmosphere reached a fever pitch.
However, the most viral moment of the evening didn’t involve a massive six or a middle-stump yorker – it was a playful, thunderous demand from the stands.
As CSK struggled to keep pace with a monumental target, a section of the crowd began a rhythmic chant that soon engulfed the entire stadium: “Kohli ko bowling do! Kohli ko bowling do!” (Give the ball to Kohli).
Hearing the deafening roar, former skipper Kohli, who was stationed at long-on, broke into a wide grin. He didn’t just ignore the request; he performed a comedic “denial” that has since flooded social media. Kohli gestured towards his back and hamstrings, shaking his head and pointing to the specialist bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jacob Duffy, as if to say, “I’m retired from that department!”
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Crowd chanting ‘Kohli ko bowling do’.
Virat Kohli denying to the request. 😂pic.twitter.com/9E0GNAjX5E
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 6, 2026
In past interviews, Kohli has jokingly admitted that his bowling “confidence” is quite low and that he doesn’t want to ruin his batting rhythm by conceding runs. His playful refusal – complete with a mock “folding hands” gesture toward the fans – only made the crowd cheer louder, proving that even when he isn’t bowling, Kohli remains the ultimate entertainer.
Match Result: RCB vs CSK (April 5, 2026)
RCB’s Batting Blitz: After being put in to bat, RCB posted a colossal 250/3. The innings was defined by a late-order explosion from Tim David (70 off 25 balls)* and Rajat Patidar (48 off 19)*. Earlier, Devdutt Padikkal (50) and Phil Salt (46) laid a solid foundation, while Virat Kohli contributed a brisk 28.
The Chase: CSK’s pursuit was rocky from the start. They lost three wickets for just 30 runs within the powerplay. Sarfaraz Khan kept the fight alive with a gritty 50 off 25, supported by Prashant Veer (43), but the mountain was too high to climb.
The Milestone: Veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the defense with 3/41, famously picking up his 200th IPL wicket during the match.
