Virat Kohli’s life cost him dearly. Did this one mistake of KL Rahul cost Lucknow? The game ends in the first over

News India Live, Digital Desk: In the exciting match of IPL 2026, the clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) left the fans breathless. But after the result of the match, the biggest discussion is about that ‘catch’, which changed the course of the entire game. Cricket pundits believe that if the fielders of Lucknow had not made that big mistake of taking Virat Kohli in the very first over of the match, perhaps this victory would have easily come to Lucknow.

That ‘drop catch’ of the first over and then Kohli’s chaos

Virat Kohli was seen struggling on the first few balls of the match. The Lucknow fast bowler dodged Kohli with a brilliant swing and the ball took the outer edge of the bat and went towards slip. There was a lack of coordination between the fielder and the wicketkeeper present there and a seemingly simple catch fell on the ground. At that time Kohli was at zero. Taking advantage of this gift of life, ‘King Kohli’ played such an aggressive inning that the Lucknow bowlers were completely on the back foot.

Questions raised on KL Rahul’s strategy

When a legendary batsman like Kohli is at the crease, even the slightest laxity in fielding can snatch the match. Although captain KL Rahul tried to create pressure by changing the bowlers, the early opportunity given to Kohli filled the RCB camp with confidence. After the match, fans are also saying on social media that “Kohli leaving the catch is like leaving the match.” Lucknow’s fielding has been the topic of discussion this entire season, but this big mistake has made their path to the playoffs difficult.

Amar Ujala Special: Was this the ‘turning point’ of the match?

If we look at the statistics and the nature of the game, the first 6 overs i.e. powerplay in IPL are the most important. If RCB’s first wicket had fallen in the very first over, Bengaluru’s middle order could have disintegrated under pressure. Virat Kohli not only scored runs but also gave freedom to the batsmen standing at the other end to play freely. For Lucknow Super Giants, this defeat is like a lesson that there is ‘no margin for error’ in this shortest format of cricket.