IPL 2021: Virat Kohli becomes the fifth batter to accomplish 10,000 T20 runs

Indian batsman Virat Kohli, on Sunday, September 26, became the fifth batter to notch 10,000 runs in T20 cricket. The 32-year-old accomplished the feat while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their match against Mumbai Indians at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The veteran achieved the feat with a colossal over-boundary off fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.

In the third ball of the fourth over, Virat pulled Bumrah for a six over the square leg region. The batter wasn’t quite in control of the shot, but he was able to clear the boundary with utmost ease. In the previous ball, the Delhi-born also hit the pacer for a four over the fine leg region. Virat, the RCB skipper, reached the milestone in the 312nd match of his career in T20 cricket.

In the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League, Virat hasn’t quite had the best of outings. Although his team kept performing to expectations, Kohli kept gasping for breath with the bat in hand. However, the fact that he remains the all-time highest run-scorer of the IPL can’t be denied by any means. Back in 2016, Virat almost notched 1000 runs in a single IPL edition.

Virat Kohli joins an elite list  

After he reached the 10000-run mark in T20 cricket, he joined West Indies’ Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik and Australia’s David Warner in the elite list. The 42-year-old Jamaica-born Gayle became the first batter to reach the landmark. The left-hander currently has over 14,000 runs in the shorter format with 22 centuries and 87 fifties to his name.

Thereafter, Pollard reached the landmark. Even as Gayle is a part of the Punjab Kings, led by KL Rahul, Pollard is the vice-captain of the MI team and leads the team only when Rohit Sharma, their regular skipper, is absent. The 39-year-old Malik, on the other hand, played for the Delhi Daredevils, now Capitals, in the inaugural edition of the IPL.

Warner, meanwhile, is plying his trade for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing IPL. Earlier this year, he was also removed as the skipper of the Orange Army after which Kane Williamson took over. Among the current set of batters, Rohit and Aaron Finch are close to the 10000 run mark in T20 cricket.