Virat Kohli kicked off the 2025 IPL season with an impressive knock of 59 runs off 36 balls, steering Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to a dominant seven-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with 23 balls remaining.
While chasing a target of 175, Kohli and Phil Salt built a strong foundation with a 95-run partnership in just 51 balls, helping RCB reach 80 runs in the powerplay.
Salt played an impactful innings, scoring 56 off 31 balls, while Rajat Patidarβs blistering 34 off 16 balls at a strike rate of 212.50 ensured a swift chase. Kohli, maintaining a strike rate of 163.89, smashed four boundaries and three sixes, securing an early lead in the Orange Cap race.
Kohli Crosses 1000 IPL Runs Against KKR
Kohli became the first player in IPL history to surpass 1000 runs against four different franchises, adding KKR to his previous milestones against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and Delhi Capitals (DC). With 1021 runs in 32 innings against KKR, he averages 40.84 with a strike rate of 133.63, boasting one century and seven half-centuries.
No other cricketer has achieved the feat of crossing 1000 runs against more than two teams:
| Batter | 1000+ Runs Against |
|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | DC, CSK, PBKS, KKR |
| David Warner | PBKS, KKR |
| Rohit Sharma | KKR, DC |
| Shikhar Dhawan | CSK |
As RCB prepares to face DC, KKR, and CSK later in the season, Kohli has a chance to become the highest run-scorer against a single franchise, a record currently held by David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan.
Other Notable IPL Achievements
Among other milestones, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, and RCB remain the only original IPL teams without a batter reaching 1000 runs against them.
Kohli leads the run charts against Rajasthan Royals with 764 runs and is the third-highest scorer against Mumbai Indians with 855. Meanwhile, KL Rahul, who has accumulated 950 runs against MI, is on track to become the first batter to cross the 1000-run mark against them. MS Dhoni holds the record for the most runs against RCB, having scored 864.
Kohli also extended his record as the longest-serving player with a single IPL franchise, having played for RCB since 2008. Dhoni, who spent two seasons with Rising Pune Supergiants, has been with CSK since 2008, while Rohit Sharma is entering his 15th season with Mumbai Indians.
Additionally, Kohli reached another milestone by playing his 400th T20 match against KKR, becoming the third Indian after Rohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik to achieve this feat. MS Dhoni is expected to join this elite club later in IPL 2025.
