In the opening IPL 2026 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad, Virat Kohli added another milestone to his name in the T20 format. Coming out to open the innings Kohli brings up his 64th half century in a high scoring chase.
Virat Kohli goes past Shoaib Malik
With this knock, Kohli has now become the sixth highest run scorer in T20 cricket, moving past Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik.
His consistency across leagues and international cricket continues to underline his longevity at the top level.
Top T20 run scorers:
- Chris Gayle – 14562 runs
- Kieron Pollard – 14482 runs
- Alex Hales – 14449 runs
- David Warner – 14063 runs
- Jos Buttler – 13845 runs
- Virat Kohli – 13,612* runs
- Shoaib Malik – 13571 runs
A brilliant half century for Kohli
Kohli registered his 64th half-century in the opening IPL clash, reaching fifty in just 33 deliveries. His unbeaten 69 runs innings included five fours and five sixes and came at a strike rate of over 180.
Even after retiring from international cricket, Kohli continues to impress in franchise cricket with his consistency.
Meanwhile, chasing a target of 202 against SRH, RCB recovered strongly after losing Phil Salt early. Kohli then stitched a commanding partnership with Devdutt Padikkal, who played a blistering knock of 61 off just 26 balls ensuring a comfortable victory.
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