Kohli drops easy catch, Anushka Sharma’s reaction goes viral in RCB vs SRH IPL 2026 clash
Bengaluru: A rare fielding lapse by Virat Kohli grabbed eyeballs in the IPL 2026 opener as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star dropped a straightforward catch, leaving fans, and even Anushka Sharma in the stands, amused during the clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The moment came in the 18th over when Aniket Verma miscued a shot off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, only for Kohli to misjudge the catch at long-on as the ball slipped through his hands and brushed his thigh. Kohli’s stunned reaction quickly went viral, while Anushka was seen laughing in the stands.
Virat Kohli drops a catch and Anushka was literally laughing 😂🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/OzfMPFydTQ
— TAUKIR (@iitaukir) March 28, 2026
The drop proved slightly costly as Verma went on to add valuable runs, helping SRH push towards a competitive total. Earlier, stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan led the charge with a blistering 80 off 38 balls, anchoring a 97-run stand with Heinrich Klaasen after early jolts.
Anushka Sharma's Reaction when Virat dropped it. 😂💕 pic.twitter.com/6jGh8d0yTB
— BC ☘︎ 18 (@StumpAndScreen) March 28, 2026
SRH had stumbled to 29 for 3 inside the powerplay, courtesy of a fiery spell from debutant Jacob Duffy, who removed Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy to put Royal Challengers Bengaluru firmly on top.
However, Kishan’s counter-attack ensured SRH recovered to post 201 for 9, even as RCB fought back in the death overs. The spotlight, though, remained on Kohli’s uncharacteristic miss—an unusual moment from one of the game’s most reliable fielders in an otherwise high-octane IPL opener.
Duffy was the standout performer with the ball for RCB, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 22 in his four overs. The New Zealand pacer’s sharp bounce and disciplined lines troubled the SRH top order, justifying skipper Rajat Patidar’s decision to bowl first on a surface that had not hosted top-level cricket for months.
Despite late fireworks from Verma, who made a quick 43 off 19 balls, SRH couldn’t fully capitalise in the final overs, managing 59 runs in the last five. A stunning one-handed diving catch by Phil Salt to dismiss Kishan also proved a turning point, ensuring RCB kept the total within reach heading into the chase.