Virat Kohli IPL Career, Records & Stats

An up-and-coming talent hailing from Delhi represented Royal Challengers Bangalore in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League. His name was Virat Kohli. He was coming at the back of a successful campaign in the Under-19 World Cup 2008, which saw him notch up 235 runs in six games at a strike rate of 94.75 and lead India's Under-19 team to glory. 

But no one in their wildest dreams would have ever imagined that the excellent batter would become one of the finest cricketers of his generation. Kohli has obliterated batters with his marauding bat and made world cricket his happy hunting ground. He has also established supremacy in the IPL arena and amassed truckloads of runs in the marquee event.

However, Kohli found it tough to thrive in the lucrative T20 tournament in the starting editions. He had a dismal campaign in his debut season and could only score 165 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 105.09. In IPL 2009, the Delhi-born did show glimpses of brilliance but was inconsistent with his performances and could only score 246 runs in 16 outings at a strike rate of 112.32.

In the third IPL edition, Bangalore’s investment started bearing fruit as Kohli played some eye-catching knocks and scored 307 runs in 16 games at a strike rate of 144.81. But it was in IPL 2011 when the Indian batter left the cricket fraternity in awe of his performances and racked up 557 runs in 16 matches, including four half-centuries.

In the fifth edition of the cash-rich league, Kohli did a decent job with the bat and scored 364 runs in 16 outings. The ace batter was made Bangalore’s designated captain in the 2013 season, and he led the way with the bat, plundering 634 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 138.73, which consisted of six half-centuries.

However, Kohli could not play in the same vein in IPL 2014 and scored 359 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 122.10. But again, in the following edition of the T20 extravaganza, he displayed his class and smashed 505 runs in 16 outings at a strike rate of 130.82, which comprised three half-centuries.

In the 2016 season of the cash-rich league, Kohli was in his element and knocked the wind out of bowling attacks that came his way. He amassed a staggering tally of 973 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 152.03 and emerged as the season's leading run-getter. The elegant batter racked up four centuries and seven half-centuries in those outings. Courtesy of his batting exploits, RCB made it to the finals of the T20 extravaganza.

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Kohli had an underwhelming season as per his stature in IPL 2017 and could only manage 308 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 122.22. However, he vindicated himself the following season and piled on runs for fun. The then RCB skipper featured in 14 matches and accumulated 530 runs at a strike rate of 139.10.

In IPL 2019, Kohil again put up an exhibition of his glorious stroke play and aggregated 464 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 141.46, which comprised a century and two half-centuries. The dashing stroke maker carried on his excellent work for the Bangalore franchise and notched up 466 runs in 15 outings in the forthcoming edition at an average of 42.36.

Though Kohli was not at his consistent best in IPL 2021, he did a decent job, scoring 405 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 119.46. But in the 15th IPL edition, the veteran batter was mediocre with the bat and could only accumulate 341 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 115.99.

With years and years of incredible showings in the Indian Premier League, Kohli has emerged as the most prolific run-getter in the history of the marquee tournament. He has featured in 223 matches and amassed 6624 runs at a strike rate of 129.15. In his illustrious IPL career spanning 15 seasons and running, the Indian batter has broken many records and created some.

Let us look at Virat Kohli's major milestone in his IPL career:

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