NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli added another milestone to his glittering career as he surpassed Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik to become the Asian batsman with the most runs in T20 cricket during the opening match of IPL 2026 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Kohli opened the innings in a 202-run chase and reached the milestone in style, surpassing Malik’s tally of 13,571 runs, with one coming in the eighth over. The Indian star achieved this in just his 415th T20 match, compared to Malik’s 557 games over a two-decade career.
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RCB’s big changes ahead of IPL: New rules, tribute and squad update The latest milestone puts Kohli (13,612) sixth in the all-time T20 run-scoring chart, ahead of Chris Gayle (14,562), followed by Kieron Pollard (14,482), Alex Hales (14,449), David Warner (14,063) and Jos Buttler (13,845).
Most runs in T20 cricket
PlayerMRunsHSAve.SR100s50sChris Gayle46314562175*36.22144.752288Kieron Pollard7351448210431.62150.96167Alex Hales528144491119*29. Warner43314063135*37.10140.6810115Jos Buttler4931384512434.96146.16898Virat Kohli41513612122*42.14134.859106Shoaib Malik5571357195*35.99127.24083Landmark reached during smooth tappingKohli’s wicket came in the middle of another composed innings. He was unbeaten on 69 off 38 balls, leading RCB to a dominant six-wicket win. His knock of five fours and five sixes underlined his enduring class at the top of the order.After the match, Kohli credited his recent rhythm and careful workload management. “Whenever I come back into the game, it’s 120%. I don’t come back underprepared … the extra rest helps me mentally refresh myself,” he said.Reflecting on his long career, he added, “I was always in danger of burning out rather than being undercooked… these breaks help me stay fresh and excited.”
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Kudos to Padikkal, focus on team successKohli also heaped praise on Devdutt Padikkal, whose explosive 61 off 26 balls set up the chase. “Excellent batting… completely took the game away from the opposition,” Kohli said, revealing that he encouraged the left-hander to keep attacking.Apart from the personal milestones, Kohli emphasized his commitment to the team. “You don’t just want to stay put, you want to keep performing and contributing to the team’s cause,” he noted.As records continue to fall and form firmly on his side, Kohli’s latest achievement not only cements his legacy but also signals that he remains a dominant force in T20 cricket.
