IPL 2026: RCB stalwart Virat Kohli on the brink of history, only 11 runs away from...

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli is on the verge of scripting yet another historic milestone in the IPL 2026 game against Delhi Capitals on Monday, needing just 11 runs to become the first player to reach 9000 runs in the tournament’s history.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru stalwart has been the face of consistency since 2008, and even in IPL 2026, he continues to deliver at the highest level.

Kohli has already piled up 328 runs in just seven innings this season, averaging 54.66 at a striking rate of 163.18, underlining his ability to evolve with the demands of modern T20 cricket.

His numbers (8989 in total off 274 matches) over the years remain unmatched, comfortably ahead of contemporaries like Rohit Sharma and David Warner.

Most Runs in IPL

• Virat Kohli – 8989 runs (274 matches)
• Rohit Sharma – 7183 runs (276 matches)
• Shikhar Dhawan – 6769 runs (222 matches)
• David Warner – 6565 runs (184 matches)
• KL Rahul – 5579 runs (152 matches)

Ahead of RCB’s clash against Delhi Capitals, batting coach Dinesh Karthik heaped praise on Kohli’s relentless drive to improve.

"Credit to him, that man constantly rediscovers with every passing year. And for him to keep up with the pace of this game, and some of the newer players are batting at insane strike rates, and he is going shoulder to shoulder with them and producing match-winning performances. So I marvel at how he rediscovers himself every year, almost," Karthik said.

Karthik also highlighted Kohli’s meticulous preparation for IPL 2026 and discipline behind the scenes.

"That man goes back every year, and he is assessing what he has done. And he almost comes with a very stubborn plan about how he wants to go about it. And he gets it done not on match days alone but the way he practises as well. And he has a method to how he goes about it and he's constantly checking himself in practise," he said.

He further added that Kohli’s approach in this IPL 2026 edition serves as a masterclass for younger players in the squad.

130555265

"And there are certain days he'll bat more, certain days he'll bat less. And he has so much experience. And it's quite amazing and a learning experience for any young boy watching. As a young player, when you watch somebody like Virat Kohli practise, I think it is, first of all, they're lucky, and at the same time, it is such a learning experience even though they've not got game time. Looking at somebody like Virat Kohli closely and seeing how serious he is about his practise and how he has a plan when he does practise," Karthik added.