In the 58th IPL match against the Punjab Kings on May 9th, Virat Kohli, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batting powerhouse, showcased his exceptional skills.

Virat Kohli’s Innings

Kohli, donning the orange cap as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, led RCB’s batting lineup with finesse after PBKS invited them to bat first. Despite several early reprieves, Kohli’s determination was evident from the outset. Luck favoured him as Ashutosh Sharma and Rilee Rossouw dropped catches, but Kohli capitalized on these opportunities to anchor his team’s innings.

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A brief halt due to a hailstorm did little to deter Kohli’s focus. Upon resumption, accompanied by Cameron Green, he resumed his aggressive approach.

Unleashing Trademark Strokeplay

In the 13th over, facing Liam Livingstone, Kohli displayed his mastery with the bat, reaching his half-century off just 32 balls. His exquisite timing and wristy flicks left spectators awestruck. Following a slightly slow start, Kohli accelerated rapidly. Within the successive ten balls, he struck two fours and two sixes, racing to 36 off 20 deliveries before reaching his fifty in the 13th over.

Virat Kohli inched closer to clinching his ninth IPL century; however, he fell short by just 8 runs. Arshdeep Singh’s long wait to get King Kohli finally manifested as he got his first wicket of the evening. Kohli’s innings were characterized by dominance, as he amassed 92 runs off 47 balls, steering RCB to a commanding total of 241/7 in their allotted 20 overs.

Key Milestones Achieved

Kohli’s innings were instrumental in the match and marked several significant milestones in IPL history.

1. Most runs by an Indian batter for RCB: Kohli surpassed the 7897-run mark, solidifying his position as a franchise stalwart.

Most runs by an Indian batter for RCB

7897 Virat Kohli

900* Dinesh Karthik

898 Rahul Dravid

884 Devdutt Padikkal

731 Parthiv Patel

2. Historic Dismissal: Kohli’s dismissal at 92 runs marked only the second instance of him getting out in the 90s in IPL history. It’s only the second instance of Virat Kohli getting dismissed in the 90s in IPL. The first was 99 vs Delhi Capitals in Delhi in 2013.

3. Dominance against Opponents: Kohli’s prowess was evident as he became the first player to score 1000+ runs against three opponents in the IPL.

1000+ runs most opponents in IPL

3 Virat Kohli vs CSK, DC & PBKS

2 Rohit Sharma vs DC & KKR

2 David Warner vs KKR & PBKS

4. Most 600+ run seasons in IPL

4 KL Rahul & Virat Kohli

3 C Gayle & D Warner

2 Faf du Plessis