Kamal Ghorui
Virat Kohli completed 9,000 IPL runs on Monday during the match against Delhi Capitals, finishing the game with back-to-back sixes. His next target is the special milestone of 10,000 IPL runs, which remains far away for other current players, even those in the top five. Although Kohli is already 37, raising some questions about longevity, former New Zealand pacer Mitchell McClenaghan believes he can achieve the feat without any doubt.Mitchell McClenaghan praised Virat Kohli’s remarkable consistency after Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s emphatic nine-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals in their IPL 2026 clash.RCB’s dominant win at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday was set up by a fiery new-ball spell from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, who dismantled Delhi’s batting line-up and bowled them out for just 75, the lowest total of the season. The chase was completed with ease, highlighting RCB’s all-round supremacy.Reflecting on Kohli’s sustained excellence in the tournament, McClenaghan highlighted the discipline and adaptability that have defined the veteran batter’s journey over the years, speaking on JioHotstar.“Virat Kohli has been incredibly consistent. Scoring 9000 IPL runs against the world’s best bowlers is no easy task. It’s about hunger, discipline, and adapting every year, and that’s what brings the best out of him. He has been in the IPL since 2008, and the best part is that he didn’t start his career as an opener. He batted in the lower middle order, fought for his place, then moved to number three. Later, he opened with Chris Gayle. That changed his game completely. He will soon reach 10,000 runs, without a doubt. Kohli is the greatest batter the IPL has ever seen, not just for the runs, but for how he has evolved and dominated across different eras,” McClenaghan told JioStar.
| Rank | Player | Team(s) | Total Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 9,012 |
| 2 | Rohit Sharma | Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers | 7,183 |
| 3 | Shikhar Dhawan | PBKS, DC, SRH, MI, Deccan Chargers | 6,769 |
| 4 | David Warner | Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad | 6,565 |
| 5 | KL Rahul | Delhi Capitals, LSG, PBKS, RCB, SRH | 5,580 |
“Instead of reinventing, he has been doing the same stuff consistently, over and over again, and he is just getting better at it. The time off from international cricket is now helping him structure his time better throughout the year. He’s getting enough time to work on fitness and stay fresh. He has enough experience and knows how to deal with pressure situations. It is just about being able to do what you have been doing. That means hitting those areas with the ball which trouble batters the most, and having control over swing, which we are seeing right now. That is why his impact has always been great with the new ball,” he added.
Upcoming matches of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB):
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 April | Gujarat Titans | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 7:30 PM |
| 07 May | Lucknow Super Giants | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
| 10 May | Mumbai Indians | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, Raipur | 7:30 PM |
| 13 May | Kolkata Knight Riders | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, Raipur | 7:30 PM |
| 17 May | Punjab Kings | HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala | 3:30 PM |
| 22 May | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 7:30 PM |
