Virat Kohli played a vital role in this monumental win, scoring a brisk 54 off 30 deliveries. His innings wasn’t just crucial for the team’s chase it also took him to new personal heights. With this knock, Kohli crossed 9,000 runs in the IPL, becoming the first player in T20 history to score over 9,000 runs for a single team.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pulled off one of the most remarkable run chases in IPL history on Tuesday, chasing down a daunting target of 228 runs against Lucknow Super Giants with ease. RCB won the high-octane clash by 6 wickets with 8 balls to spare in the final league game of the current season, securing their place in the first qualifier.
Bangalore will now face Punjab Kings in the qualifier on Thursday, with the winner earning a direct ticket to the final.
Playing at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Bengaluru set a new franchise record by chasing their highest-ever total in IPL history. It also marked the third-largest successful chase in IPL’s all-time record books.
Kohli’s loyalty to RCB is unmatched, having played exclusively for the franchise since the league’s inception in 2008. His record stands far above any other player globally in terms of T20 runs for a single team:
- 9030 runs – Virat Kohli for Royal Challengers Bangalore
- 6060 runs – Rohit Sharma for Mumbai Indians
- 5934 runs – James Vince for Hampshire
- 5528 runs – Suresh Raina for Chennai Super Kings
- 5314 runs – MS Dhoni for Chennai Super Kings
Kohli’s half-century on Tuesday also took his tally for the season to 602 runs, making it the fifth time he has scored 600+ runs in a single IPL season the most by any player in the league’s history.
Adding to his list of accolades, Kohli now has 63 IPL fifties, making him the joint-highest with David Warner, who also has 63 half-centuries. With records tumbling and form peaking, Kohli’s performances continue to define excellence in the IPL.
RCB’s emphatic win and Kohli’s record-breaking night have set the stage for an electrifying qualifier against Punjab Kings. All eyes will now be on Thursday’s clash as the road to the IPL final intensifies.