Virat Kohli against Kolkata Knight Riders (Image: RCB/X) Virat Kohli continues to stand head and shoulders above the rest as the all-time leading scorer in IPL history and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star finds himself back in the limelight ahead of the crucial clash against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026. KKR is one of the five teams against whom Kohli has crossed the 1000-run mark in the IPLIn the ongoing IPL 2026 season, Kohli has adopted a much more aggressive approach with the bat as compared to previous years. The RCB opener has so far scored 379 runs at an astonishing 163.36, playing a key role in Bengaluru’s strong campaign. However, despite an impressive season overall, Kohli heads into a high-stakes encounter looking to end a rare slump after registering back-to-back ducks in his last two innings. With RCB aiming to strengthen their position at the top of the table, Kohli’s return to form could be crucial.
Watch
IPL 2026: Sai Kishore on GT’s winning formula under Ashish Nehra, Shubman Gill
Kohli’s impressive record against KKR
Kohli has consistently enjoyed batting against KKR throughout his IPL career. In 32 innings against the three-time champions, he amassed 1,021 runs at an impressive average of 40.84, including one century and seven half-centuries. In the last five matches against Kolkata, Kohli has scored three half-centuries in which he remained unbeaten in two innings.RunsBalls4s6sSRPosDismissalInnsOppositionGroundStart Date211830116.661bowled2at KKREden GardensApril6 2023543760145.941caught2at KKRBengaluruApril26 2023183*594 KKRBengaluru29. March 202418712257.141caught 2at KKREden Gardens21. April 202459*3643163.882not out2v KKREden Gardens22. March 2025
Venue dynamics: Eden Gardens vs Chinnaswamy
At Eden Gardens, Kohli traditionally enjoys the batting conditions where the ball lands nicely on the bat. He scored 405 runs in 12 innings at this iconic venue, keeping the numbers slightly better than his overall record against KKR.At the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Virat Kohli maintains an outstanding individual record against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as he amassed 437 runs at an elite batting average of 48.55.
Sunil Narine Challenge
Despite Kohli’s dominant numbers against KKR overall, one bowler who has historically managed to contain him is Sunil Narine. The veteran mystery spinner has dismissed Kohli four times in IPL encounters, restricting him to an average of 26.50 while his strike rate remained at just 101.78. Kohli scored only 171 runs off 168 balls against Narine.As Kohli prepares for KKR, much of the focus will once again be on his clash with Narine. With RCB, he is gaining momentum at the business end of IPL 2026.
Vote
Will Virat Kohli break his duck in the upcoming match against KKR?
