IPL 2025: Virat Kohli's top 5 IPL records that look impossible to break

The 2016 IPL season saw Virat Kohli elevate his batting to a level never seen before. He amassed 973 runs in 16 matches, the highest in a single season by any batter to date

The name of star Indian batter Virat Kohli has become synonymous with records during his long and illustrious career. Be it international cricket or the IPL, Kohli has made numerous records that sometimes seem impossible to be matched by someone else. But such is his stature in the sport that he makes the impossible look possible when he holds the bat. Here's a closer look at five such records made by Kohli in IPL history that are almost impossible to break for any other player anytime soon.

 

1) Most seasons for a single franchise

 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (then Bangalore) acquired the services of Virat Kohli in 2008's inaugural season, months before he had even made his international debut for India. Virat started as a lower-order batter for RCB but, as his stature increased, he was promoted up the order, mirroring his rise in the Indian team. Now, 17 years later in the 18th edition, Virat is still with RCB as their icon and holds the record for the most seasons played for a single franchise (18). Virat’s former teammate and Indian legend MS Dhoni is second on the list after Kohli with 16 seasons played for CSK till date.

 

 

 

 

2) Most 200-plus partnerships in IPL history

 

Kohli has also been part of some of the most iconic batting partnerships in IPL history, but what truly sets him apart is his record for the most 200-plus partnerships in the tournament. Kohli has been involved in three double-century stands, a feat no other player has achieved. His most famous partnerships include the 229-run stand with AB de Villiers in 2016 against Gujarat Lions, the 215-run stand with de Villiers in 2015 against Mumbai Indians, and another double-century partnership of 204 runs in 2012 with Chris Gayle against Delhi Capitals (Delhi Daredevils then). Such partnerships require exceptional individual brilliance as well as perfect synergy with the batting partner — something Kohli has mastered.

 

3) Most runs in a single season

 

The 2016 IPL season saw Kohli elevate his batting to a level never seen before. He amassed 973 runs in 16 matches, coming agonisingly close to becoming the first player to score 1,000 runs in a single IPL season. With an average of 81.08 and a strike rate of 152.03, his dominance was unmatched as he single-handedly carried Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the final.

 

4) Most runs at a single venue

 

Virat Kohli has turned Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium into his favourite hunting grounds, amassing the most runs by a player at a single venue in IPL history. In the 83 innings he has played at this venue, he has scored 2,994 runs, making it his most productive venue in the tournament. The short boundaries, flat pitch, and high-scoring nature of Chinnaswamy have complemented Kohli’s aggressive yet classical stroke play. While other players have strong records at their home venues, no one has been as consistent and dominant as him in a single stadium.

 

 

5) Most 50-plus scores in a single season

 

In his record-breaking 2016 season, Kohli not only hit centuries but also registered the most 50-plus scores in a single IPL edition — a total of 11. This means he crossed the half-century mark in almost 75 per cent of the games he played that season. Consistency in T20 cricket is rare, but Kohli’s ability to deliver match after match has been phenomenal. Even the best in the world struggle to achieve such levels of consistency, making this another record that seems nearly impossible to break.