Sports

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Royal Challengers Bengaluru have made a commanding start to the ongoing Indian Premier League season, winning both of their opening matches. After defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first game, RCB registered another impressive victory over Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. While the team’s all-round performance stood out, it was Virat Kohli who once again grabbed headlines by scripting a new IPL milestone.

Kohli, who scored a fluent 69 in the season opener, followed it up with a brisk 28-run knock off just 18 deliveries against CSK. Though it was a relatively short innings, it proved to be historically significant. With this effort, Kohli surpassed Rohit Sharma to become the batter with the most runs against a single opponent in IPL history.

Before this match, Rohit held the record for scoring the most runs against one team in the IPL. Representing Mumbai Indians, he had amassed 1,161 runs in 36 matches against Kolkata Knight Riders. Kohli needed just 16 more runs to break that record, and he achieved the milestone in the fourth over of RCB’s innings, reaching the landmark off Matt Henry’s bowling.

Kohli has now scored 1,174 runs in 36 IPL matches against Chennai Super Kings, the highest tally by any batter against a single franchise in the tournament’s history. In addition to his IPL numbers, Kohli also played one match against CSK in the now-defunct Champions League T20, where he scored 14 runs, further underlining his consistent performances against the Chennai-based side.

On Sunday, Kohli’s 28-run innings included two boundaries and a six. Although not a big score by his standards, it was crucial in the context of the match. With the outfield at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium reportedly slow, run-scoring was not easy. Kohli’s calculated approach helped RCB lay a solid foundation, enabling the team to post a competitive total.

With RCB maintaining their unbeaten run and Kohli continuing his fine form, the franchise appears well-positioned in the early stages of the tournament. The record-breaking feat adds yet another chapter to Kohli’s illustrious IPL career and reinforces his reputation as one of the league’s most consistent performers.