Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
Virat Kohli creates T20 history in Indian cricket, also goes past Warner, Pollard in CSK vs RCB IPL 2024 match
CSK vs RCB, IPL 2024: Virat Kohli became the first Indian to score 12000 runs in T20 cricket during the Indian Premier League opener against Chennai.
If the Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2024 opener was being played on a stage instead of the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, there would not have been many takers for the spotlight operator. Who would want to choose between MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli?
Dhoni decided to hand over the CSK captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad a day before the grand opener of the 17th season and is making a comeback to the cricket field after close to 11 months. Kohli, on the other hand, is making his first appearance in a cricket match since the India vs Afghanistan T20I earlier this year.
Let's stay away from that debate and concentrate on Kohli for the moment as the man has once again achieved something monumental. Kohli created history by becoming the first Indian cricketer to cross 12 thousand T20 runs.
He needed six runs in the CSK match to reach the milestone and he got there with a single off Ravindra Jadeja's ball in the 7th over on Friday. He took 377 matches, becoming the second fastest to 12000 T20 runs after Gayle, who had reached the feat in 353 matches.
CSK vs RCB Live Score
Kohli is currently sixth in the list of top run-getters in all T20s behind Chris Gayle, Shoaib Malik, Kieron Pollard, Alex Hales and David Warner. Kohli, however, is the only one who averages over 40.
Kohli also became the second batter to score 1000 runs against the Chennai-based franchise in IPL. He took 32 matches to reach the feat.
The 35-year-old, however, missed the chance to become the first Indian batter to smash 100 50+ scores in T20s and third overall. Chris Gayle (110) and David Warner (109) stand above him in the list.
Kohli was dismissed for 21 off 20 balls by CSK's Mustafixur Rahman. The former RCB skipper wanted to hit the Mustafizur bouncer for a six but did not get enough to take it over the ropes. Ajinkya Rahane took a good grab at the deep square-leg boundary and just when it was looking like the momentum would take him across the ropes, he tossed it over to his teammate Rachin Ravindra to complete the catch.
Virat Kohli has a point to prove in grand to return to cricket
This was Kohli's grand return to cricket after a long break due to the birth of his second child. He skipped the entire five-match Test series against England to spend time with his family.
Before the CSK vs RCB encounter, Mo Bobat, RCB's Director of Cricket, said Kohli was hitting the ball superbly.
"Virat's in a good place. We all know he's an absolute champion cricketer. So he's at a stage of his career, in a stage of his experience now, where most of what he does is pretty hardwired into him. He's coming in fresh, which is what we're excited about," Bobat said at the pre-match press conference.
For RCB, it is very important their best batter is in a good headspace. There has been a lot of talk about his place for the T20 World Cup being in doubt. Kohli would like to end those talks once and for all with a powerful performance in this IPL.
Kohli is the highest run-getter in IPL of all time. In 239 matches and 230 innings, the India talisman batter has scored 7284 runs at an average of 37.24, with a strike rate of 130.02. His best score is 113. He has scored seven centuries, most by a batter and 50 fifties in his IPL career.
Last season, the legendary batter was the fourth-highest run-getter, piling up 639 runs at an average of 53.25 and a strike rate of 139.82. His best score was 101*. The 35-year-old scored two centuries and six fifties but could not take his side to the playoffs.
