Virat Kohli etched his name deeper into IPL history on Monday, reaching the landmark 9,000 runs while facing Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026 at Arun Jaitley Stadium. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru stalwart’s consistency has once again drawn rave reviews, this time from ex-New Zealand pacer Mitchell McClenaghan.
‘Kohli’s run tally against elite bowling attacks is no mean feat,’ McClenaghan told GeoSuper. ‘It speaks to his relentless drive, iron discipline, and yearly evolution. Debuting in IPL 2008, he wasn’t an opener initially but scrapped in the middle order, earned his No. 3 berth, and later revolutionized his style opening with Gayle.’
The evolution narrative is key for McClenaghan: ‘He’s IPL’s all-time batting king not merely for numbers, but for reshaping himself through different phases while staying dominant.’ Kohli’s loyalty to RCB is unmatched—all his runs are for one team. His captaincy steered them to glory in 2025, and now in his 19th season, he’s firing on all cylinders with 351 runs in eight games this year.
Breaking it down, Kohli’s IPL stats read 9,012 runs from 267 innings in 275 matches, featuring eight tons and 66 fifties. Three half-centuries already this season underline his form. As whispers of 10,000 runs grow louder, Kohli’s blend of adaptability and aggression cements his legacy as T20’s batting benchmark.
