Virat Kohli returned to his best form in the spotlight, shaking off two straight duck scores with a vital half-century against Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur. In the process, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter left another mark on the IPL record books, becoming the first player in league history to reach 400-plus runs across 12 separate seasons. Kohli’s consistency has long set him apart from the competition, and this latest achievement extended his edge over some of the tournament’s most celebrated hitters.
With the knock, Kohli also added to a growing list of IPL seasons featuring 400 or more runs: 12 seasons — Virat Kohli; 9 seasons — David Warner / Suresh Raina; 9 seasons — Shikhar Dhawan / Rohit Sharma; 8 seasons — KL Rahul; 7 seasons — Shubman Gill; 6 seasons — AB de Villiers. It was another reminder that even when the spotlight tightens, Kohli finds ways to convert pressure into production.
The milestone night didn’t end there. Kohli became the most-capped player in IPL history by appearing in his 279th match of the tournament. By reaching that figure, he moved beyond MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, who had both been level on 278 appearances before this match.
Heading into the chase after back-to-back ducks, Kohli responded almost immediately, playing an assured innings in a high-pressure situation. His composure stood out, and he once again delivered strongly against KKR. Over his last five innings versus the franchise, Kohli has produced 54, 83* , 18, 59* and 51*—numbers that underline how well he handles their bowling plans.
On the other side, Kolkata Knight Riders set their target in a rain-affected contest, finishing on 192 for four. Angkrish Raghuvanshi played a career-best hand of 71 off 46 balls, striking seven fours and three sixes. After early wickets threatened to disrupt the innings, Raghuvanshi rebuilt with intent, and the innings gained momentum through key partnerships—most notably with Cameron Green, who made 32, and Rinku Singh, who stayed unbeaten on 49 from 29 deliveries.
RCB had made early inroads as Finn Allen and Ajinkya Rahane initially threatened to set the tone before Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood struck to apply pressure. Still, Raghuvanshi’s aggressive approach, paired with Rinku’s late acceleration, ensured KKR reached a fighting total—one that demanded a response of the highest quality from Kohli, who delivered in the required manner.
