RCB vs GT IPL Final: Why are all eyes on Royal Challengers Bangalore’s star batsman Virat Kohli? Will Virat’s biggest IPL record be broken this time? Will Kohli be able to defeat the figure who has stopped him for years? Will Kohli’s longest wait end today?
Ahmedabad (Gujarat): When Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman Virat Kohli plays the IPL title match against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on Sunday, there will be a huge pressure on him. This is pressure to improve our mediocre record in the IPL final. Virat Kohli is considered the king of limited overs cricket, but when it comes to the IPL final, his statistics tell a different story.
Kohli has played 4 IPL finals so far
- Kohli has played four IPL finals so far, in which he has scored only 139 runs at an average of 34.75 and a strike rate of more than 126. He has only one fifty in his name, which he scored (54 runs) against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2016. Surprisingly, this was also his last IPL playoff fifty.
King Kohli’s record in IPL 2026
If we look at his entire IPL playoff career, in 18 matches Kohli has scored only 439 runs at an average of 27.43 and strike rate of 124.71. This includes only two half-centuries and his best score has been 70*.
However, they have a better record in all the finals of the T20 format. Kohli has scored 344 runs in eight T20 final matches at an average of 49.14 and a strike rate of over 125, which includes three half-centuries and a best score of 77.
Kohli will be able to end 10 years knockout drought
Virat’s bat has spoken strongly this season. He is the sixth highest run scorer with 600 runs. He has scored at an impressive average of 50.00 and a blistering strike rate of 164.38, which includes one century and four half-centuries. His best score has been 105*. Now it remains to be seen whether King Kohli will be able to end his 10-year knockout drought on the big stage of the finals.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Squad
Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasik Salam Dar, Romario Shepherd, Suyyash Sharma, Kanishk Chauhan, Abhinandan Singh, Jordan Cox, Philip Salt, Richard Gleeson, Swapnil Singh, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Mangesh Yadav, Satwik Deswal.
gujarat titans squad
Sai Sudarshan, Shubman Gill (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Ravishrinivasan Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Glenn Phillips, Anuj Rawat, Kumar Kushagra, Arshad Khan, Luke Wood, Connor Esterhuizen, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Shahrukh Khan, Kulwant Khejroliya, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Ashok Sharma. (ANI)