Virat Kohli scripted a historic milestone in the Indian Premier League as he became the first batter to reach 9,000 runs, helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their clash against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday. Kohli entered the contest needing just 11 runs to get to the landmark and did it with a boundary off Axar Patel, finding a single on the final ball of the sixth over.
At a glance
- Virat Kohli became the first player in IPL history to complete 9,000 runs.
- The milestone was reached during RCB’s match vs Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday.
- Kohli started the match on 8,989 runs and required 11 more before reaching the mark.
- He struck a single off Axar Patel on the last ball of the sixth over to touch 9,000.
- RCB dismissed Delhi Capitals for 75, the lowest team total of the season.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 3/5 and Josh Hazlewood took 4/12, with Rasikh Salam Dar (1/21) and Syuash Sharma (1/7) also chipping in.
Kohli’s place at the top of the IPL record books was reinforced again here. The RCB star is the tournament’s leading run-getter and, with this knock, became the first to cross the 9,000-run threshold.
Going into the match, Kohli had accumulated 8,989 runs across 274 games and 266 innings. His numbers included an average of 39.95 with a strike rate of 133.76, featuring eight hundreds and 66 fifties, while his highest IPL score remained 113 not out.
Even this season, Kohli has looked like one of RCB’s most reliable performers. Prior to the meeting with Delhi Capitals, he sat sixth in the Orange Cap race with 328 runs from seven matches, striking at 162.18 and carrying an average of 54.66, including three half-centuries and a top score of 81.
Impact in chases
Kohli has also proven to be RCB’s go-to batter when targets are within reach. Since the 2023 IPL season began, he has failed to reach double figures in single digits just once across 21 chases, adding 1,087 runs at an average of 72.46 and a strike rate of 155.5, with one century and 11 fifties.
On top of that, he has cleared the 600-run mark in each of the last three IPL seasons starting from 2023, and there is a strong case that he could deliver a fourth consecutive campaign of 600-plus runs.
Earlier, RCB set up a dominant platform by bowling Delhi Capitals out for 75. That total is the lowest score of the ongoing IPL season, and it came in the same fixture at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday.
Choosing to field first, RCB’s seam and pace attack did the damage in quick bursts. Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with figures of 3/5 and Josh Hazlewood struck with 4/12, together accounting for seven wickets; Rasikh Salam Dar (1/21) and Syuash Sharma (1/7) also contributed to the rout.
For DC, Abishek Porel managed 30, David Miller made 19, and Kyle Jamieson scored 12, offering the main resistance after the visitors were reduced to 8 for 6 in the fourth over.
