Virat Kohli IPL Records: All the Milestones King Kohli Owns in 2026
Virat Kohli IPL Records: From most runs to most centuries to most appearances — a complete guide to every IPL record Virat Kohli holds, updated after his record-breaking ton against KKR in Raipur on May 13, 2026
North Desk Bureau
Chandigarh, May 14
Virat Kohli walked out to bat in Raipur on Wednesday evening with twin ducks against his name in his previous two matches and questions — mild ones, but questions nonetheless — beginning to form. He walked back having scored an unbeaten 105 off 60 balls to seal a six-wicket win for Royal Challengers Bengaluru over Kolkata Knight Riders, and having broken three records along the way.
Kohli’s knock confirmed RCB’s place in the playoffs and took them to the top of the IPL 2026 points table. But the match scorecard is only part of the story. What Wednesday’s game actually did was remind anyone paying attention that Kohli’s place in IPL history is in a category entirely of his own making.
Three Records in One Night
Kohli’s century against KKR was his 9th in the IPL — a record he has extended beyond the reach of any rival. He also crossed 14,000 runs in T20 cricket during the innings, becoming the first Indian batter to do so and the fastest to the milestone in terms of innings taken.
He also broke MS Dhoni’s all-time IPL appearances record, playing his 279th match to move clear of both Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, who had each played 278.
Three records. One innings. At 37.
The Complete IPL Record Book — Kohli’s Chapter
Most runs in IPL history — 9,000+
Kohli is the all-time leading run-scorer in IPL history with 9,040 runs in 279 matches at an average of 39.65. The gap between him and second-placed Rohit Sharma is 1,773 runs. No other player has crossed 8,000 IPL runs. Kohli has lapped the field.
Most IPL centuries — 9
With his 9th hundred in Raipur, Kohli is now the only player in IPL history to have scored this many centuries. His closest rival, Chris Gayle, has 6. The gap between Kohli and second place is now three centuries — roughly one full exceptional season for most top batters.
Most runs in a single IPL season — 973 (2016)
Kohli scored 973 runs in IPL 2016 — and remains the only player in the tournament’s history to touch the 900-run mark in a single season. He averaged a phenomenal 81.08 that season across 16 matches, hitting 4 centuries — another record — in what remains the greatest individual IPL season by any batter.
Most centuries in a single IPL season — 4 (2016)
Those four hundreds in 2016 are also a record. In that season, Kohli also registered the most 50-plus scores in a single IPL edition — 11 — meaning he crossed the half-century mark in roughly 75 per cent of the games he played.
Virat Kohli IPL records: Only player to score 700+ runs in an IPL season twice
Virat Kohli IPL records: Kohli scored 973 runs in IPL 2016 and then 741 runs in IPL 2024 — making him the only batter in IPL history to cross the 700-run mark in a season on more than one occasion. He won the Orange Cap both times, making him the first Indian cricketer to win the Orange Cap twice.
Most IPL appearances — 279
Kohli’s 279th appearance took him past long-time record holders Dhoni and Rohit, who were tied at 278 before Wednesday’s match. What makes this record particularly striking is the manner in which it was built. Kohli is the only player in IPL history to have featured in more than 250 matches for a single franchise — his 279 appearances have all come for RCB. Dhoni, second on the single-franchise list, has played 248 matches for CSK. Rohit has played 232 for Mumbai Indians.
Only player in all 19 IPL seasons for one team
Virat Kohli IPL records: Kohli is the only player in IPL history to have played all seasons for one team — Royal Challengers Bengaluru — since the inaugural 2008 edition. Dhoni, despite also starting in 2008, was compelled to represent Rising Pune Supergiant during CSK’s two-year suspension. Kohli never wore another jersey.
Highest partnership in IPL history — 229 (with AB de Villiers, 2016)
Kohli and AB de Villiers hold the record for the highest partnership in IPL history — a 229-run second-wicket stand against the now-defunct Gujarat Lions in 2016, a partnership that still stands nearly a decade later. Kohli has been involved in three double-century partnerships in IPL history — a feat no other player has matched. Besides the 229 with de Villiers, there was a 215-run stand with de Villiers against Mumbai Indians in 2015, and a 204-run opening partnership with Chris Gayle against Delhi in 2012.
Most catches in IPL history — 122
Kohli holds the record for the most catches in IPL history with 122. It is a record that rarely gets mentioned in conversations about his batting dominance, but it reflects the consistency of his presence in the field across nearly two decades.
Most runs as captain in IPL — 4,994
Virat Kohli IPL records: Kohli holds the record for most runs scored as a captain in IPL history, having accumulated 4,994 runs in that role. He captained RCB in 143 matches — more than any other player has led the franchise.
First batter to reach 14,000 T20 runs
Kohli is the first Indian cricketer to score 14,000 runs in T20 cricket, becoming the fastest to the milestone in terms of innings taken. In T20 cricket overall, he is now joint fourth in the centuries list with David Warner on 10, behind only Chris Gayle (22) and Babar Azam (13).
The Comeback Context
Virat Kohli IPL records: Numbers alone do not quite capture what Wednesday meant. Kohli had registered consecutive ducks in his previous two matches — a two-ball duck against Lucknow Super Giants and a golden duck against Mumbai Indians. He arrived at the crease at Raipur under a quiet kind of pressure, the sort that only accumulates when you have given people enough reason over 19 seasons to expect something special every time.
He celebrated even getting off the mark — when he nudged a single to open his account, he looked up and acknowledged the moment — and then didn’t look back, anchoring the chase while hitting big shots to keep the required rate in check. The final scorecard read 105 not out off 60 balls: 11 fours, 3 sixes. RCB home with five balls to spare.
The record book, updated accordingly.
