IPL 2026: LSG’s young player Naman Tiwari touches Virat Kohli’s feet; his priceless reaction breaks internet

A moment involving Virat Kohli and Naman Tiwari has gone viral following the IPL 2026 encounter between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday.

Kohli fell agonisingly short of a half-century but guided his team to a comfortable five-wicket win, a result that took them to the top of the IPL points table. In a video circulating on social media, Kohli was seen chatting with LSG youngsters, with Tiwari and Mukul Choudhary standing on either side of him. During the interaction, Tiwari suddenly tried to touch Kohli’s feet, but the former India skipper was visibly surprised and quickly stopped him before breaking into a laugh.

Tiwari was picked for ₹1 crore by LSG after a heated bidding war with Rajasthan Royals.

Kohli later said he was satisfied with his intensity and approach despite not being at full fitness, as RCB secured a comfortable victory. He scored 49 off 34 balls, helping chase down 146 in just 15.1 overs.

“Much better than the last game. I’m still not 100%. My knee was a bit sore last game. Even health-wise, I’ve been under the weather for four or five days now. So, just getting back up to my best,” Kohli said after the match.

The former India captain was seen training with his left knee heavily strapped ahead of the game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. He hit six fours and a six, taking his tally to 228 runs in the tournament at an average of 57, and claimed the Orange Cap.

“I started off well today, so I was happy with my intensity. Again, would have liked to carry on and finish the game off. Sometimes you have to take the conditions into account as well.

“The pitch slowed down considerably and I just wanted to keep going in the same manner probably. But, yeah, in the end, should have probably finished that one off as well.”

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) seasoned opener Virat Kohli on April 15 played as an impact player for the first time in his Indian Premier League (IPL) career. Kohli was unwell and suffered an injury in the previous game as he didn’t field against Mumbai Indians (MI) after scoring a half-century. Against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), he delivered with a 34-ball 49 in the run chase of 147. After the comprehensive five-wicket win with 29 balls to spare, Kohli gave a fitness update, confirming he is not at 100 per cent.

“Much better than the last game. I’m still not 100%. My knee was a bit sore last game. Even health-wise, I’ve been under the weather for four or five days now. So, just getting back up to my best,” Kohli said after the match.

Kohli kept the tempo up in the powerplay overs while Phil Salt and Devdutt Padikkal were dismissed cheaply. He hit six fours and a six before getting dismissed by Avesh Khan. He rued not being able to finish the game himself.

“I started off well today, so I was happy with my intensity. Again, would have liked to carry on and finish the game off. Sometimes you have to take the conditions into account as well,” Kohli said.

The pitch slowed down considerably and I just wanted to probably keep going in the same manner. But, yeah, in the end, should have probably finished that one off as well,” he added.

Kohli gets orange cap

But, the 49-run knock was enough to get the orange cap off Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) Heinrich Klaasen’s head. The 37-year-old has 228 runs from five innings at an average of 57 and strike rate of 158.33.

RCB on top, next opponent DC

The win boosted RCB’s net run rate (NRR) and helped them climb to the to of the points table, surpassing Rajasthan Royals (RR).

RCB’s next match is against Delhi Capitals (DC) at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18. It is yet to be seen whether Kohli continues to play as an impact player in the next few games or take the field as well.