Virat Kohli will take the field in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as an IPL winner for the first time when the 2026 season begins on Saturday (March 28) when Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first game of the season. Kohli has been part of the league since the first season in 2008 and will look to build on his legacy. Kohli holds various records in the league and has achieved multiple feats, which no other player has done.
Virat Kohli’s Incredible IPL Legacy
Virat Kohli has an incredible legacy in the Indian Premier League, which will be hard for any active player to match. It will take an incredible effort for anyone in the future to break the RCB legend’s record. Here is a look at few incredible feats that only the IPL 2025 winner has achieved in the league’s history.
8000 Runs In The League
Virat Kohli is the only player in the league’s history to score more than 8000 runs. The star batter is the highest run-getter in the league’s history with 8661 runs in 267 matches at an average of 39.54. Rohit Sharma is in second place in the elite list but is far behind with 7046 runs.
8 Centuries
Virat Kohli has scored eight centuries in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is the most for any player. The star batter is just one ahead of Jos Buttler (7). Chris Gayle scored six centuries in his career in the IPL. Among Indian players, KL Rahul (5) is second on the list.
19 Seasons With One Franchise
The 2026 campaign will see Kohli play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the 19th season in a row. Since the league’s inception in 2008, Kohli has played for RCB. He is the only player in history to play each season for the same team. Kohli is also the only active player to never be part of the auction. While MS Dhoni has been part of CSK’s set-up in each season they have taken part in the IPL, he also played for Rising Pune Super Giant in 2016 and 2017.
70 Innings Of 50 Or More Runs
Virat Kohli holds the record for the most 50+ scores in the league’s history. The RCB star has scored a knock of more than 50 71 times (63 50s, 8 100s). He is the only player with over 70 innings with a knock of at least fifty runs. David Warner (66) is second on the elite list.
900 runs in a season
Virat Kohli’s tally of 972 runs in the 2016 season remains the record for the most runs by a batter in a single season. The star batter is the only player to score over 900 runs in one year in the IPL. Shubman Gill (890 in 2023) is second on the list, followed by Jos Buttler (863 in 2022) and David Warner (848 in 2016).
1000+ Runs Against 4 Teams
Virat Kohli has scored 1000 runs against four different teams. He has crossed the milestone against Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Punjab Kings. No other player has managed the feat even against three teams. Rohit Sharma and David Warner have both done it against two teams, while Shikhar Dhawan also achieved it against CSK.
