NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli created history in the IPL by becoming the first player ever to score over 4000 runs while chasing targets on Saturday. He reached this milestone during the opening match of IPL 2026 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru. On top of that, Kohli also moved past Shoaib Malik to become the sixth-highest run-scorer in T20 cricket overall.
Hyderabad’s fightback
Sunrisers Hyderabad didn’t start well, losing early wickets like Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Nitish Reddy in the powerplay. But things turned around thanks to Ishan Kishan, who stepped up as stand-in captain and smashed 80 runs off just 38 balls. He got good support from Ankiet Verma, who added a quick 43.Their efforts helped Hyderabad post a strong total of 201/9. For Bengaluru, bowlers like Jacob Duffy and Romario Shepherd picked up three wickets each to keep things somewhat under control.
Virat Kohli leads Bengaluru’s chase
Chasing 202, Bengaluru came out with aggression. Star batter Virat Kohli anchored the innings with an unbeaten 69 off 38 balls. He was well supported by Devdutt Padikkal, who smashed 61 off just 26 balls, and captain Rajat Patidar, who added a quick 31.Thanks to this explosive batting, Bengaluru pulled off the chase in just 15.4 overs, making it the fastest successful chase of a 200+ total in IPL history. They sealed the match with four wickets in hand, kicking off their title defence in style while Kohli stole the spotlight with his historic achievement.
