Virat Kohli’s Flying Kiss to Anushka Sharma After IPL Opener Win Leaves New Owner Ananya Birla in Splits

Virat Kohli recently dismissed rumors claiming he requested a chartered flight to visit his family in London, in between RCB's matches.

Virat Kohli’s Flying Kiss to Anushka Sharma After IPL Opener Win Leaves New Owner Ananya Birla in Splits

Virat Kohli was captured blowing a flying kiss to his wife Anushka Sharma, present in the stands. (via News 18)

In Short
  • Virat Kohli led RCB to a six-wicket victory over SRH, scoring an unbeaten 69 runs.
  • Kohli became the first player to score over 4,000 runs in IPL run-chases during the match.
  • New RCB owner Ananya Birla celebrated in the stands, witnessing Kohli's affectionate moment with Anushka Sharma.

Following RCB’s winning start in IPL 2026, veteran Indian cricketer Virat Kohli was seen exchanging flying kisses with his wife, Bollywood star Anushka Sharma. The sweet moment was also noticed by new RCB owner Ananya Birla, who was seated near Sharma in the stands.

Virat Kohli showed off why he is regarded as one of the finest batters after guiding RCB to a dominant six-wicket victory over SRH.

Chasing down a target of 202 runs, he led the batting assault from the front, finishing unbeaten on 69 runs off 38 balls. His knock comprised five fours and five sixes, at a strike-rate of 181.58. It helped the defending champions chase down the target with ease in just 15.4 overs. 

The 37-year-old anchored the innings, while he was assisted by knocks from Devdutt Padikkal (61 off 26), and RCB skipper Rajat Patidar (31 off 12). With 17 runs required off the final four overs, the former Indian captain shifted gears, hitting a maximum and three boundaries off Harshal Patel‘s 16th over. Raising his bat towards the crowd after sealing the win, Kohli then shared a touching moment with his wife, Anushka Sharma. 

Virat Kohli was seen blowing a flying kiss towards his wife, while being cheered on by the Bengaluru crowd. It was Anushka Sharma’s first time in the stands for one of her husband’s matches in nearly a year. Moreover, the affectionate exchange was witnessed by RCB’s new owner, Ananya Birla, who was seated close to Sharma in the stands. Cameras captured Birla’s wholesome and enthusiastic ‘fan-girl’ reaction, while the actor blushed.

Ananya Birla and her brother, Aryaman Vikram Birla, applauded from the stands while attending their first match as the franchise’s new owners. The Aditya Birla Group has stepped in as RCB’s new owners, after their bid worth a whopping $1.78 billion emerged on top. Aryaman Birla will lead the consortium, which also includes the Times of India Group, American sports tycoon David Blitzer, and US-based Blackstone.

Moreover, Ananya Birla has emerged as the public face of the new ownership. Because of her visibility, fans are already comparing her emotional connection to the franchise to that of Sunrisers Hyderabad owner Kavya Maran.

Virat Kohli’s season-opener knock: Which records did he shatter while playing against SRH?

It was a masterclass display from Virat Kohli during the IPL 2026 opener between RCB and SRH. The legendary Indian batter went past a plethora of records with his unbeaten 69-run knock, while helping his team chase down a massive 202-run target with four wickets in hand.

Virat Kohli records RCB
Virat Kohli became the first player to score over 4,000 runs in IPL run-chases. (via NDTV Sports)

The 37-year-old became the first player in the history of the competition to score over 4,000 runs during chases. Kohli continues his reign on top, having scored 4,027 runs in IPL run-chases, miles ahead of 2nd placed David Warner, who scored 3,285 runs. His 69-run innings also helped him overtake Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik to become the sixth-highest run-getter in T20 cricket, with 13,612 runs to his name.

Apart from that, the match against SRH marked Kohli’s 19th season with RCB in the IPL, making him the only player to feature for the same franchise since 2008. Kohli also set a new record for the highest number of unbeaten 50+ scores in the IPL. The veteran Indian batting icon will now be looking to better his IPL record and become the only player to score 9,000 IPL runs. 

Coming to team records, RCB became the fastest to chase down a 200+ target in the IPL, as they only took 15.4 overs to complete it. Kohli has been all the more successful against the Orange Army in the tournament, with his last five scores being 69*, 43, 51, 42, and 100. 

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