Royal Challengers Bengaluru booked their place in the IPL 2026 playoffs and moved to the top of the points table with 16 points after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in Raipur on Tuesday.

Chasing a challenging target of 193, RCB completed the chase with five balls remaining, thanks to a sensational unbeaten century from Virat Kohli.

The match not only became a major talking point because of Kohli's first century of the season, but it also created huge buzz after Manish Pandey took an absolute blinder to dismiss Tim David. The stunning catch left Virat Kohli, Kartik Tyagi, and even Pandey's own KKR teammates completely shocked.

After the brilliant effort in the field, Manish Pandey also earned praise from Virat Kohli. The RCB star appreciated the catch with a warm and adorable hug, a moment that quickly went viral among cricket fans on social media.

Watch the special video here:

Video credit: Star Sports / @StarSportsIndiaX

Manish Pandey's acrobatic catch dismissed Tim David— What made this catch so different

When Manish Pandey took the stunning catch, RCB were still 14 runs away from victory in the 18th over. Tim David went hard at a short-of-length delivery from Kartik Tyagi on the final ball of the over, and the ball flew quickly towards backward point. For a moment, it looked certain to race away for a boundary.

However, Pandey reacted brilliantly on his non-dominant side. He dived low and fully stretched to his left before somehow managing to grab the ball with one hand just inches above the ground. It was a sensational effort that instantly changed the mood of the match.

See also -Manish Pandey Scores Unbeaten 59 as Mysuru Warriors Win Maharaja Trophy T20 Opener

For a few seconds, almost nobody on the field could believe that the catch had actually been completed. Kartik Tyagi stood with his hands on his head in complete disbelief, while Tim Davidlooked frozen and turned towards the umpire to confirm the dismissal. At the non-striker's end, Virat Kohli could only watch the replay with his mouth open as the crowd erupted in shock and excitement.

Virat Kohli's reaction tells you everything — Watch what happened in real time

Royal Challengers Bengaluru had already taken strong control of the match thanks to Virat Kohli's brilliant century and an important contribution from Devdutt Padikkal at the top. Tim David came in during the later stages of the chase to finish the game quickly before Manish Pandey produced a stunning moment in the field.

Kartik Tyagi bowled a skiddy good-length delivery outside off stump, and David tried to cut it hard behind point. Although the ball came slightly off the upper part of the bat, it still travelled quickly and awkwardly towards the backward point.

Pandey reacted instantly. Moving sharply to his left, he dived at full stretch and completed a sensational one-handed catch with his weaker hand. The effort immediately became one of the best fielding moments of IPL 2026.

After Manish Pandey's outstanding catch, Virat Kohli was left completely stunned at the non-striker's end. The RCB star could only stand with his mouth open while watching the replay on the big screen. Later, the legendary Indiabatter warmly hugged his former teammate and congratulated him for the incredible effort in the field.

Is this the catch of the tournament? What it means for RCB's IPL 2026 playoff push

The replay made the catch look even more unbelievable. From the angle of the dive to the speed of the ball, it seemed almost impossible for Manish Pandey to hold on to it cleanly. His incredible reflexes left players, fans, and commentators completely speechless, with many already calling it the best catch of IPL 2026 so far.