Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Virat Kohli has matched Jos Buttler’s IPL record for the most centuries scored in successful run-chases. Kohli reached the landmark against the Kolkata Knight Riders, smashing an unbeaten 105 off 60 deliveries (11 fours and three sixes) at a strike rate of 175.00. The innings was Kohli’s third IPL hundred while chasing, putting him level with Buttler in that particular stat.
Quick facts
- Kohli’s chase century: 105* off 60 balls vs KKR
- Boundaries: 11 fours and three sixes; strike rate 175.00
- Milestone: Kohli’s third IPL century in run-chases, level with Jos Buttler
- Run-chase record: 4,285 runs in 138 matches and 131 innings; average 42.42; strike rate 136.42
- In successful chases: 2,784 runs in 76 matches and 70 innings; average 63.27; strike rate 142.69
- RCB chase context: team finished the job in 19.1 overs with six wickets in hand
- Match swing: KKR were 48/2 before reaching 192/4
- Table impact: RCB move to the top with 16 points (8 wins, 4 losses)
- KKR concern: playoff push hit after a run of four unbeaten games
In IPL run-chases overall, Kohli has piled up 4,285 runs across 138 matches and 131 innings. His numbers in those situations read 42.42 in average terms and 136.42 in strike rate, with three centuries and 29 fifties to his name. His best score in the chase format is 108*.
When the chase is successfully completed, Kohli’s impact becomes even clearer. He has scored 2,784 runs in 76 matches and 70 innings at an average of 63.27, striking at 142.69. That haul includes three hundreds and 20 fifties, with another 108* as his top score in these successful pursuits.
Kohli’s biggest chase knocks
Kohli has repeatedly been the stabiliser and the closer for RCB in high-pressure chases. His contribution in the franchise’s six highest successful chases in IPL history includes:
- 228 vs LSG, Lucknow, 2025 — Kohli 54 (30)
- 206 vs GT, Bengaluru, 2026 — Kohli 81 (44)
- 204 vs KXIP, Bengaluru, 2010 — Kohli 16* (12)
- 202 vs SRH, Bengaluru, 2026 — Kohli 69* (38)
- 201 vs GT, Ahmedabad, 2024 — Kohli 70* (44)
- 193 vs KKR, Raipur, 2026 — Kohli 105* (60)
Taken together, those six chase innings add up to 395 runs at an average of 197.50, with a strike rate above 173. The record also includes one century and four fifties across the stretch.
Kohli has also drawn level with Rohit Sharma for the most “Player of the Match” awards in IPL among Indian players, with 21 each. He is additionally the first Indian batter to reach 10 T20 centuries overall.
With IPL 2026 in full swing, Kohli has accelerated through the run charts. He has moved up to third place in the Orange Cap race, collecting 484 runs in 12 matches and innings, at an average of 53.77 and a strike rate of 165.75. That tally includes one century and three fifties.
How the match unfolded
RCB began the match by winning the toss and choosing to bowl first. Their early pressure paid off as KKR slipped to 48/2, setting the tone for the innings.
KKR rebuilt through two key contributions: Angkrish Raghuvanshi made 71* off 46 balls (seven fours and three sixes), while Rinku Singh struck 49* in 32 deliveries (three fours and two sixes). With that momentum, KKR reached 192/4 in their 20 overs.
RCB’s bowling unit struck in phases, with Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar each claiming one wicket.
In the chase, Kohli again faced an early wobble as opening partner Jacob Bethell was dismissed for 15. However, a 92-run partnership with Devdutt Padikkal—who made 39 off 27 balls with seven fours—helped RCB stay ahead of the required rate.
From there, it became a Kohli-led finish. RCB overhauled the target in 19.1 overs, winning by six wickets with wickets still in hand as Kohli powered KKR’s chase hopes away.
With the result, RCB return to the top of the points table. They now sit with eight wins and four losses, giving them 16 points. For KKR, the defeat is a major blow to their playoff ambitions, especially after a period of four matches unbeaten that followed six winless games (including five losses and one no result). Their remaining three games become must-win fixtures.
