Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli has achieved a new milestone in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He became the first Indian player to amass over 700 runs in two separate IPL seasons.
Virat accomplished this historic feat during RCB’s match against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Bengaluru. He scored 47 runs in just 29 balls, including three fours and four sixes, with a striking rate of 162.06.
Exceptional Performance and context
In the current season, Virat leads the run-scoring charts with 708 runs in 14 games, averaging 64.36 and maintaining a striking rate of 155.60, his highest in an IPL season. Notably, he had crossed the 700-run mark previously in 2016, scoring 973 runs in 16 matches with a remarkable average of 81.08 and a striking rate of over 152, including four centuries and seven fifties.
Virat’s achievement places him alongside Chris Gayle as the only player to reach the 700-run mark in a single IPL edition on two or more occasions. Gayle achieved this feat in IPL 2012 and 2013. Moreover, Virat ended the league stage of IPL 2024 with 37 sixes, the highest by any batter this season, closely missing his all-time high tally of 38 sixes in 2016.
Consistent Performance on a Special Date
Continuing his fine form, Virat played a significant innings on May 18, a date that holds special significance for RCB and himself, as they have won every game played on this date. Virat has scored 343 runs in five innings on May 18, with an outstanding average of 85.75, including two centuries and a fifty.
Match Overview
In the match against CSK, who won the toss and chose to bowl first, both teams fielded their respective playing XI:
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Daryl Mitchell, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (Wk), Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Simarjeet Singh, Maheesh Theekshana.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Faf du Plessis (C), Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Rajat Patidar, Cameron Green, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (Wk), Karn Sharma, Yash Dayal, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Siraj.
