Ace India batter Virat Kohli is representing the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), formerly known as Royal Challengers Bangalore since the inception of the tournament. The franchise, then owned by Vijay Mallya, selected Kohli for $50,000 in the inaugural draft made in 2007. He was picked up following his standout performances in the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia.
2008–2009
In the first IPL match between RCB and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Kohli didn’t perform well, contributing just a single run while his side was chasing a mammoth 223 total. In the middle of the season, he was promoted to the top order. However, in RCB’s last two games, he had to revert to the middle order and did not make much impact in the first season, ending with 165 runs.
Despite making a dismal start in the following season, he bounced back, scoring a half-century in the third match against the Deccan Chargers (now defunct). In this season, he faced limited opportunities to bat; nonetheless, RCB reached the playoffs. Kohli played a crucial knock in the semi-final against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and helped RCB reach the final which they later lost to Deccan Chargers.
2010–2012
During the 2010 IPL season, he was appointed vice-captain and was strategically placed in the middle order. One of his notable performances in this season was a 58-run innings against the Deccan Chargers. RCB reached the playoffs this season but was defeated by Mumbai Indians (MI) in the semi-final.
It is worth noting that Kohli was the only player retained by RCB for the 2011 IPL season with a contract worth $1.8 million. He has showcased impressive performances with a half-century against the Chargers and won Player of the Match awards against the Delhi Daredevils (now defunct), and the Pune Warriors (now defunct). During this season, he also surpassed 1000 runs in the IPL. With regular captain Daniel Vettori injured, Kohli captained the side for the first time during the 2011 season. He ended the season with 557 runs, including four half-centuries.
In the mid-2012 season, Kohli was named captain for the remainder of the season after Vettori’s performance declined. His breakthrough in this season was a record-breaking 73* in a partnership of 203 runs with Chris Gayle against the Daredevils. Additionally, he finished the season with 364 runs from 16 matches.
2013–2014
Following Vettori’s retirement, Kohli took over as the full-time captain of the RCB for the 2013 IPL season. His standout performance came against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), where he scored an unbeaten 93. Despite his efforts, RCB failed to make it to the playoffs. For the 2014 season, RCB retained him for ₹12.5 crore (US$1.5 million). Kohli struggled from the start of the season, and it forced him to move to open the innings, but this change did not resolve the problem. However, Bangalore struggled and missed out on a playoff spot.
2015–2016
In the 2015 season, Kohli chose to open the batting alongside Gayle. His standout performance came against MI, where he scored 82 runs and also shared a then-record partnership of 215 runs with AB de Villiers. In this season, he led RCB to their first playoffs appearance under his captaincy. However, they were knocked out after losing to CSK in the Qualifier 2.
His 2016 IPL season began with a score of 75 in a win against SRH. In this season, he achieved three half-centuries in the first four matches. He scored his first century against Rising Pune Supergiant. This season was memorable for Kohli, as he went on to score three more centuries and also surpassed 4,000 runs in the league. Notably, his performances led RCB to the playoffs but was later lost to Hyderabad in the final. Kohli finished the season with a record 973 runs from 16 matches and subsequently won the Orange Cap.
2017–2019
The 2017 season was forgettable for Kohli as he missed the first few games due to injury and Bengaluru missed another chance to make it to the playoffs.
For the 2018 season, RCB retained Kohli for ₹17 crore (US$2.0 million), making him the most expensive player in the IPL. He showcased his prowess this season as well but his efforts went in vain after RCB’s loss to Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator. The 2019 season saw another underwhelming season of RCB and also saw Kohli’s form falter.
2020–2022
Kohli’s form was not up to the mark in the 2020 season as well. Notably, RCB made it to the playoffs but was knocked out by Hyderabad in the eliminator. In the 2021 season, Kohli achieved a new feat, becoming the first player to make 200 appearances for a single franchise. RCB qualified for the playoffs but lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in the eliminator. After the end of the season, Kohli stepped down as RCB captain. In 2022, RCB retained Kohli for ₹15 crore (US$1.8 million) and his struggles persisted this season as well.
2023–Present
Kohli returned to his form in the 2023 season, starting with an unbeaten 82 against Mumbai Indians. He was later involved in a code of conduct breach incident against Lucknow Super Giants, eventually resulting in a fine. He later scored centuries against SRH and Gujarat Titans and achieved the record of most hundred in the league. He ended the season with 639 runs, boasting an average of 53.2 and a strike rate of 140. Kohli enjoyed a successful campaign individually in the 2024 season as well. He emerged as the top scorer with 741 runs at an average of 61.7 and a strike rate of 154.69. During the process, he scored a century and five half-centuries.
Virat Kohli’s record in IPL
- Most Runs in a Single Season: He scored 973 runs in the 2016 IPL season.
- Most Hundreds in a Season: In the 2016 season, he struck four centuries
- Most Runs in IPL History: Leading run-scorer with 8004 runs in 252 games at an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 131.97
- Most Fifties in a Single Season: 9 fifties in the 2016 season
- Most Runs for a Single Franchise: Most runs for RCB- 8004 runs
- Most Runs by an RCB player in a Match: Highest individual score-122* against the Pune Warriors India in 2013.
- First Player to Score 2000 Runs in T20 Internationals
- Most Matches Played for a Single Franchise: 252 matches for RCB
- First Player to Cross 6000 IPL Runs in 150 Matches
