Virat Kohli vs Kolkata Knight Riders (Photo: RCB/X)
Virat Kohli continues to stand above the rest as the all-time leading run-scorer in Indian Premier League history, and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star once again finds himself at the center of attention ahead of the crucial clash against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026.
KKR is one of the five teams against whom Kohli has crossed the 1,000-run mark in the IPL.In the ongoing IPL 2026 season, Kohli has adopted a more aggressive batting style compared to previous years. The RCB opener has scored 379 runs so far at a staggering average of 163.36, playing a key role in Bengaluru’s strong campaign. However, despite an impressive season overall, Kohli heads into the high-voltage encounter looking to end a rare slump after recording back-to-back ducks in his last two innings.
With RCB looking to strengthen their grip at the top of the standings, Kohli’s return to form could be crucial.
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Kohli’s impressive record against KKR
Kohli has consistently enjoyed batting against KKR throughout his IPL career. In 32 innings against the three-time champions, he amassed 1,021 runs at an impressive average of 40.84, including one century and seven half-centuries. Over his last five matches against Kolkata, Kohli has scored three half-centuries, going unbeaten in two of his innings.
| Runs | Balls | 4s | 6 seconds | SAR | Points of sale | dismissal | hostel | opposition | My land | Start date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 116.66 | 1 | throw | 2 | v. KKR | Eden Gardens | April 6, 2023 |
| 54 | 37 | 6 | 0 | 145.94 | 1 | hold | 2 | v. KKR | Bengaluru | April 26, 2023 |
| 83* | 59 | 4 | 4 | 140.67 | 1 | Didn’t come out | 1 | v. KKR | Bengaluru | March 29, 2024 |
| 18 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 257.14 | 1 | hold | 2 | v. KKR | Eden Gardens | April 21, 2024 |
| 59* | 36 | 4 | 3 | 163.88 | 2 | Didn’t come out | 2 | v. KKR | Eden Gardens | March 22, 2025 |
Pitch dynamics: Eden Gardens vs Chinnaswamy
At Eden Gardens, Kohli has traditionally enjoyed batting conditions where the ball arrives well to the bat. He scored 405 runs in 12 innings at the famous venue, maintaining slightly better numbers than his overall record against KKR.At the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Virat Kohli maintains an exceptional individual record against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), amassing 437 runs at an elite batting average of 48.55.
Sunil Narine challenge
Despite Kohli’s dominant numbers against KKR overall, one bowler who has historically been able to contain him is Sunil Narine. The veteran enigma bowler dismissed Kohli four times in the IPL clashes, restricting him to an average of 26.50 while keeping his strike rate down to just 101.78. Kohli scored just 171 runs off 168 balls against Narine.As Kohli prepares for KKR, the spotlight will once again be on his duel with Narine. With RCB chasing momentum at the end of IPL 2026 business.