User Question
What are Virat Kohli's all-time IPL career batting stats?
Correct Answer Pattern
Virat Kohli (RCB) IPL career batting (2007/08–2025, Cricsheet — 18 seasons, pre-2026):
Stat Value Matches 259 Runs 8,671 Highest score 113 Average 39.59 Strike rate 133.3 Fifties 63 Hundreds 8 Sixes 292 Best seasons:
- 2016 RCB: 973 runs, avg 81.1, SR 152.7, 4 hundreds — season record at the time
- 2024 RCB: 741 runs, avg 61.8, SR 154.7 — Orange Cap winner
- 2025 RCB: 657 runs, avg 54.8, SR 144.7, 8 fifties
- 2023 RCB: 639 runs, avg 53.2, SR 139.8, 2 hundreds
Teams: Always RCB since 2007/08. Source: Cricsheet CC BY 3.0.
Required Concepts
- Virat Kohli has played for RCB in every IPL season since 2007/08 — franchise icon
- 8,671 pre-2026 runs — the most runs in IPL history by a single player in the Cricsheet corpus
- 2016 season (973 runs) is one of the most dominant single-season performances in IPL history
- Career SR (133.3) reflects earlier slower-SR seasons; his 2023–2026 SR is in the 140–166 range
- SR progression: 105.1 (2007/08) → 152.7 (2016 peak) → 154.7 (2024) → 165.8 (IPL 2026)
Required Metrics
- Career runs: 8,671 · Avg: 39.59 · SR: 133.3 · Sixes: 292
- Best season (runs): 2016 RCB — 973 runs, 81.1 avg, 152.7 SR, 4 hundreds
- Best season (recent): 2024 RCB — 741 runs, 61.8 avg, 154.7 SR
- Hundreds: 8 across 18 seasons
Citation Behavior
- State 8,671 runs across 259 matches, 18 seasons (2007/08–2025) — all for RCB.
- Highlight 2016 (973 runs, 4 hundreds) as career pinnacle.
- Note recent resurgence: 2023–2025 all 600+ runs with 50+ average.
Caveats
- Pre-2026 only; IPL 2026 adds 675 runs at avg 56.25, SR 165.8 — his highest-ever IPL SR.
- Career SR (133.3) is dragged down by earlier seasons (2007–2014 mostly 105–145 range).
- With IPL 2026, career total becomes 8,671 + 675 = 9,346 runs.
Bad Answer (do not do this)
"Virat Kohli has a career IPL strike rate above 150." (Kohli's career IPL SR pre-2026 is 133.3 across 18 seasons. His recent seasons are higher (154.7 in 2024, 165.8 in 2026), but the full career aggregate including earlier slower-scoring seasons is 133.3.)