Virat Kohli IPL Career Stats & Records 2026

Virat Kohli IPL Profile: Stats, Records & Career Highlights 2026

Virat Kohli is an India player who plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. (IPL). The date of birth of Virat Kohli is November 05, 1988. As of March 2026, he is 37. Virat Kohli is a Right Arm Medium from Delhi. He played his first match of the IPL in 2008. The 37-year-old fast bowler has participated in 267 games in the IPL and earned 4 wickets. His best bowling figures in the IPL are 2/139. The price of Virat Kohli in the IPL is ₹ 21.00 Cr. He played his recent match against the Punjab Kings.

Virat Kohli IPL Career Overview – All-time IPL Stats, Records and Achievements

Virat Kohli is an Indian legendary right-handed top-order batsman who is widely recognised for his unmatched consistency, technical precision, and mastery of run chases. He was born on November 5, 1988, in New Delhi and is currently 37 years old. Virat Kohli's IPL career started with RCB at the age of 19, and he has gradually delivered consistent performances in the IPL due to his dedication, leadership, and match-winning mentality. He has guided the team with passion and determination and also served as RCB's full-time captain from 2013 to 2021.

His IPL career is filled with several outstanding performances, record-breaking seasons, and several memorable innings that have defined his ability to score consistently, lead from the front, and perform under pressure and also made him one of the most successful and respected players in IPL history.

Virat Kohli IPL Debut

Virat Kohli's first IPL team is the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He joined the RCB squad at the age of 19 in 2008. He was selected through the Under-19 draft by RCB. Interestingly, he is the only player in IPL history who has played for only one franchise since its inaugural season in 2008. He rose from a young player to captain, earning him the reputation of "King Kohli" among Bangalore fans.

Virat Kohli's first IPL match was played on April 18, 2008, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. This match was played between RCB and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He came to bat at number three in this historic match but could not perform well because Ashok Dinda dismissed him for just 1 run. RCB suffered a crushing defeat in that match, but no one could have imagined that this young boy, who started with one run, would later become the most successful batsman in IPL history.

Virat Kohli IPL Team History

Virat Kohli's IPL history is one of the most influential chapters in Indian cricket that began in 2008 when Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) became the Virat Kohli IPL team for the very first time, and now his partnership with this team has remained unbroken ever since. He is the only player who has played for the same team for 18 consecutive seasons in IPL history. He has earned titles like "Run Machine" and "King Kohli” because of his loyalty and outstanding performance. 

IPL Salary and Auction History of Virat Kohli 

The most distinctive feature of Virat Kohli's IPL career is that he has represented only one franchise from the league's inception in 2008 to the present. He was drafted as a young player in 2008 for a mere ₹12 lakh by RCB, and today he is one of the most expensive players in the league with a retention value of ₹21 crore. Virat Kohli's IPL history has seen a transformation in him from an aggressive young batsman to the team's most successful captain and now a seasoned mentor. He also led RCB to their first title in 2025, which is considered the crowning achievement of his long and dedicated career.

Virat Kohli IPL Performance and Career Stats

Virat Kohli's IPL stats tell the story of his consistency and dedication to the game. He has played 267 matches in 18 seasons since 2008, scoring at an average of 39.54. Virat Kohli's IPL stats include 63 half-centuries and several centuries, which make him one of the most reliable batsmen in the history of the Indian Premier League. 

Virat Kohli's total centuries in IPL are 8, including his record-breaking 4 centuries in 2016 and the most recent century against Rajasthan Royals in 2024.

However, Virat Kohli's IPL century list was first time in 2016 against the Gujarat Lions. After this, he scored 1 century in 2019, 2 consecutive centuries in 2023 and his 8th century against Rajasthan Royals in 2024. In the 2025 season, he did not score a century, but played a vital role in making his team the champion by scoring 657 runs with the help of 8 half-centuries.

Virat Kohli's IPL total runs are 8,661 in 259 innings and recorded as the league's all-time top scorer with runs. He became the first batsman to cross the magical 6,000, 7,000, and then 8,000 runs mark in the IPL. The gap between him and the second-placed batsman has widened significantly. 

Whenever Virat Kohli's IPL runs year wise are discussed, then the magical 2016 season is always mentioned, as he has scored 973 runs in that single season and set a record that remains unbroken. He has scored over 400 runs in almost every season during his career. In the last three years (2023, 2024, and 2025), he has once again proven his form by scoring over 600 runs consecutively. His hunger for runs is as strong today as it was in the early days of his career.  

Virat Kohli's highest score in IPL currently stands at 113 runs. Interestingly, he has achieved this score twice. The first time was against Kings XI Punjab in 2016, when he played this innings despite having 8 stitches on his hand. The second time was against the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur in 2024, scoring an unbeaten 113 runs. Virat Kohli's IPL highest score perfectly demonstrates his ability to play long innings and his art of hitting shots all around the field.

Virat Kohli's strike rate in IPL is 132.85, but it has seen a significant increase in the last few years. In the 2024 season, he scored at a strike rate of 154.69, indicating that he has adapted to the modern demands of the game. His strike rate reflects his ability to balance his intelligence, absorb pressure in big matches, and use strategy to score quickly in the powerplay and stay until the end.

Virat Kohli's IPL total six has reached 291 as of now and has become the third-highest six-hitter in the league, behind Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma. 

The number of Virat Kohli's sixes in IPL has changed significantly over time. Early in his career, he was mainly known for elegant groundstrokes and precise timing rather than big hits. However, he has displayed remarkable power by smashing 38 sixes in just 16 innings during the 2016 season. 

Recently, his power-hitting prowess can be seen in the 2024 and 2025 IPL seasons, where his aggressive smash of 38 sixes in 2024 and 19 crucial sixes in 2025 helped his team win. He is now recognised not just as an anchor, but also as a dangerous power-hitter.

Virat Kohli ducks in IPL are 10 times, including seven of which were golden ducks, when he was dismissed on the very first ball of his innings. He has recorded three golden ducks in the 2022 season, which was his toughest season. However, his duck count is considered quite low compared to his long career and over 8,600 runs.

Although he is primarily a batsman but also bowled regularly in the early years of his IPL career. According to the stats of Virat Kohli's bowling in IPL, he has taken 4 wickets so far. His most memorable bowling performance was against the Deccan Chargers on May 25, 2008, played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, where he took 2 wickets for 25 runs. Since 2011, he has bowled very little in the IPL and has been playing as a pure batsman for the last several seasons.

Virat Kohli IPL Milestones and Achievements

Virat Kohli's milestones in IPL are a testament to his unwavering loyalty and consistency because his journey from a young player to a legendary figure with a single IPL team has been one in which he has always maintained his dedication to the game. However, he has become one of the batsmen to reach multiple major milestones in the league. 

Historic IPL 2025 title: Virat Kohli's IPL records the biggest achievement to win the first IPL title of RCB in 2025. He led his team to victory in the final against the Punjab Kings after a long wait of 18 years and made the dream of "Ee Sala Cup Namdu" come true.

All-time run-scorer: He is the all-time highest run-scorer with 8,661 runs in IPL history and is very near to completing his 9,000 runs mark.

Orange Cap: He has scored the most runs to win the Orange Cap twice in the league.

Dominance at a single ground: Virat Kohli's IPL records include the most runs and most sixes by any batsman at a single ground at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Golden Season: The 2016 season remains the gold standard for individual dominance in T20 cricket. Virat Kohli's IPL runs that year reached a staggering 973, which is a record that still stands as the highest ever in a single season. Virat Kohli's IPL records 4 centuries in a single season of 2016. However, the matches played during the IPL 2016 season are still remembered as one of the most entertaining and impressive batting displays in IPL history.

IPL Iconic Moments of Virat Kohli

RCB vs PBKS, 2025

A historic moment arrived on June 3, 2025, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad that millions of cricket fans had been waiting for 18 years. Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Punjab Kings by 6 runs to win their first title. Virat Kohli's IPL batting showed his class in this epic match by playing a crucial innings of 43 runs off 35 balls.  He was the top scorer for his team that helped RCB to reach a challenging total of 190/9. 

This moment was extremely emotional for RCB fans, as he had been a part of the franchise since the league's first season and had worked tirelessly every season to win the IPL trophy. Although he finally won the IPL trophy after years of final defeats and disappointments. It was a long-awaited dream come true for both the player and RCB's loyal fans.

RCB vs PBKS, 2016

He played a match on May 18, 2016, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which is considered one of the most courageous innings in IPL history. He suffered a deep cut on the webbing of his left hand with nine stitches before the match against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), but he decided to take the field despite the pain. This match was reduced to 15 overs due to the heavy rainfall, and he smashed 113 runs in just 50 balls, including 12 fours and 8 towering sixes, as well as a century smashed with an injured hand with the bat that became a symbol of his unwavering spirit. RCB won the match by 82 runs using the Duckworth-Lewis method, and his "stitched century" became immortal in the cricketing world.

RCB vs GT, 2016

King Kohli and AB de Villiers delivered a historic performance in this "Green Jersey" match against the Gujarat Lions on 14 May 2016  that remains fresh in the minds of cricket fans. 

These two legends had created a record-breaking partnership of 229 runs in which AB de Villiers played a blistering innings of 129 not out off just 52 balls, and Kohli scored 109 runs off 55 deliveries, and Royal Challengers Bangalore posted a massive score with the help of this partnership.

However, their record-breaking highest partnership for any wicket in IPL history not only showcased their world-class batting abilities but also cemented their reputation as one of the most iconic batting pairs the IPL has ever seen.

RCB vs RR, 2024

Virat Kohli's IPL century again smashed with 113 off 72 innings, including 12 brilliant fours and 4 sixes against the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024. He batted from start to finish and single-handedly led RCB to a score of 183 on the challenging and slow pitch of Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on 19 March 2024. Unfortunately, RCB lost the match due to Jos Buttler's counter-century, but his innings once again proved his unmatched fitness and ability to stay at the crease.

Four Consecutive Centuries of the 2016 IPL season

The most prestigious chapter of Virat Kohli's IPL century was etched with four centuries in a single season. This streak began against the Gujarat Lions in Rajkot, where he scored the first IPL century of his career with an unbeaten 100 off 63 balls. 

Just days later, He chased a mammoth target of 192 against the Rising Pune Supergiants in Bengaluru and led RCB to a resounding victory with a captain's innings of 108 not out off 58 balls. 

Virat Kohli's IPL century for the third time came against the Gujarat Lions, where he shared a historic partnership with AB de Villiers and also scored 109 runs in just 55 balls. But the most memorable moment of the season came against PBKS when he smashed 113 runs in just 50 balls in a rain-interrupted 15-over match despite having stitches on his finger. These four centuries helped him score 973 runs that season, an unbroken world record that remains today.

Two Consecutive Centuries of the 2023 IPL

King Kohli had a record-breaking IPL season as he scored two centuries in two consecutive matches in 2023. His first century of the season came against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with 100 runs off 63 balls while chasing a target of 187. His innings paved the way for RCB's victory. Just three days later, he performed brilliantly again in a must-win match against the Gujarat Titans (GT). He scored an unbeaten 101 off 61 balls in a rain-affected match. Although RCB lost the match and were eliminated from the playoffs, his 2023 innings proved that he remains a formidable T20 batsman.

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