Virat Kohli reached another significant milestone in the Indian Premier League (IPL), becoming the first player in the tournament’s history to surpass 9,000 runs. The landmark was achieved during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals, in a match dominated by the bowlers.
Delhi Capitals endured a difficult outing with the bat, recording the lowest powerplay total in IPL history at 13 for 6. Their innings never recovered, and they were eventually dismissed for just 75. In response, Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased down the modest target with ease. Kohli remained unbeaten on 23, though the brevity of the chase limited his time at the crease.
Despite the short innings, Kohli achieved a historic personal milestone. Beginning the match with 8,989 runs from 266 innings, he reached the 9,000-run mark in the sixth over of the chase. A single off Axar Patel secured his place as the first batter in IPL history to cross the threshold.
Kohli had already set benchmarks as the first player to reach 6,000, 7,000, and 8,000 IPL runs. He achieved 6,000 runs in 2021, followed by 7,000 in 2023, and 8,000 in 2024. This latest milestone further extends his lead at the top of the all-time run charts.
As of now, Kohli has accumulated 9,012 runs in 275 matches and 267 innings. His advantage over other leading run-scorers remains substantial.
Leading IPL Run-Scorers
| Rank | Player | Matches | Innings | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | 275 | 267 | 9012 |
| 2 | Rohit Sharma | 276 | 271 | 7183 |
| 3 | Shikhar Dhawan | 222 | 221 | 6769 |
| 4 | David Warner | 184 | 184 | 6565 |
| 5 | KL Rahul | 153 | 144 | 5580 |
Rohit Sharma, who has also been part of the IPL since its inception in 2008, trails Kohli by 1,829 runs. Shikhar Dhawan, who retired in 2024, finished with 6,769 runs—2,243 fewer than Kohli.
In terms of additional batting metrics among the top five, Kohli leads with eight centuries and 66 half-centuries. He also holds the record for the most fours (808). However, he is slightly behind Rohit Sharma in sixes, having struck 305 compared to Sharma’s 310. Notably, only Kohli and Sharma have crossed the 300-sixes mark within this group.
The race for the leading run-scorer in the current IPL season remains competitive. Abhishek Sharma of Sunrisers Hyderabad tops the chart with 380 runs from eight innings. His teammate Heinrich Klaasen is close behind, with a difference of just 31 runs placing him fifth. Kohli, with 351 runs in eight innings, is currently fourth. Among the top five, he maintains the highest batting average at 58.50.
This performance reinforces Kohli’s position as the leading run-scorer in IPL history, with a considerable margin over his contemporaries.