Virat Kohli scripted a slice of IPL history in the 2026 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at Dharamsala on Sunday. The RCB batting star became the first batter in the tournament’s history to reach 5,500 runs as an opener for a single franchise. Coming into the contest needing only seven more runs, Kohli crossed the mark by smashing a six off Azmatullah Omarzai.
It was a landmark that sets Kohli apart from others who have also cleared the 5,500-run opener threshold in IPL cricket. Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner have both achieved the same number of runs as openers, but each did so across multiple franchises rather than with one team alone. Kohli’s milestone, therefore, adds an extra layer to his legacy at the top of the order.
Quick facts
- Match: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2026
- Venue: Dharamsala
- Sunday match highlighted Virat Kohli reaching 5,500 opener runs for a single franchise
- Kohli required 7 runs before the milestone and got there with a six off Azmatullah Omarzai
- Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss in his 100th IPL game as skipper and chose to bowl first
- Punjab Kings made two changes: Harpreet Brar and Lockie Ferguson came in
- RCB made two changes for the match: Suyash Sharma and Romario Shepherd replaced the regular skipper and Jacob Duffy
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer marked a personal milestone as well, winning the toss in his 100th IPL appearance as skipper. After the toss, he opted to put RCB in to bat first, a decision shaped by the conditions in Dharamsala.
Punjab also shuffled their XI for this game compared to their previous match. Harpreet Brar and Lockie Ferguson were brought into the side, replacing two others from the last outing.
RCB team news and toss quote
For RCB, Jitesh Sharma took over leadership for the match since Rajat Patidar was unavailable. Sharma explained that the team made a couple of adjustments, with Suyash Sharma and Romario Shepherd coming in for the side’s regular skipper and Jacob Duffy.
At the toss, Jitesh Sharma said they would have preferred to bowl first, but felt the pitch looked favourable for batting across the full spell. He also praised Rajat’s form and suggested the team expected to see him in Hyderabad, while stressing that RCB are in the “business end” of the tournament. According to his remarks, one win would secure their playoff position, making the fixture extremely significant not only for their table position but also for the broader scenario affecting other teams.
He added that the squad is giving its best in every department and is pleased with the stability of the side right now. Sharma then confirmed the exact changes: Suyash replacing Rajat and Romario replacing Duffy.
Playing XIs
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Venkatesh Iyer, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma.
- Punjab Kings: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer, Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
