Virat Kohli becomes first Indian with 12,000 T20 runs: Stats
Run Machine Virat Kohli has added another feather to his cap by scoring his 12,000th run in men's T20 cricket. Kohli unlocked the achievement in the 2024 Indian Premier League season opener against Chennai Super Kings. The 35-year-old became the first Indian to complete 12,000 runs in T20 cricket. He is currently the leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals. Here are the stats.
Sixth player with this feat
Kohli needed six runs to complete the milestone. He is overall the sixth player with this feat, after Chris Gayle (14,562), Shoaib Malik (13,360), Kieron Pollard (12,900), Alex Hales (12,319), and David Warner (12,065). Kohli completed 12,000 T20 runs in his 377th match, the third-fastest to this landmark after Gayle (353 matches) and Warner (369).
Only batter with over 4,000 T20I runs
Over 4,000 of Kohli's overall T20 runs have come in internationals. He remains the only batter to have touched the 4,000-run mark in T20Is. The batting stalwart accomplished the milestone in his 115th match, during India's ICC T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final clash against England. Kohli made his T20I debut in 2010 in an ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare.
Over 7,000 runs in IPL
Kohli is the leading run-scorer in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Before the CSK game, he tallied 7,263 runs from 237 matches at 37.24, all playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The tally includes seven tons, the most in the tournament. In the IPL 2023, he broke Gayle's record of scoring six IPL tons. In terms of runs, Shikhar Dhawan is Kohli's closest rival (6,617).
Most runs in an IPL season
Kohli holds the record for slamming the most runs in an IPL season. He finished the 2016 season with 973 runs. The RCB batter averaged 81.08 and struck at 152.03. He hammered four tons and seven half-centuries in addition to guiding the RCB to the final. In 2023, Shubman Gill had an opportunity to break Kohli's record but finished with 890 runs.
Third-most T20 tons; successive IPL centuries
Kohli has the joint third-most centuries in T20 cricket with Michael Klinger, Warner and Aaron Finch. Only Babar Azam (11) and Gayle (22) boast more T20 centuries. Notably, two of Kohli's tons came in IPL 2023 in successive matches. He became the third player to accomplish this feat after Shikhar Dhawan in 2020 and Jos Buttler in 2022.
Kohli's other notable records in T20 cricket
Kohli slammed his maiden and only T20I century during the 2022 Asia Cup against Afghanistan. It was his maiden century across formats since November 2019. Kohli led India in 50 T20Is and smashed 1,570 runs in those encounters. As many as 13 of his half-centuries came in this regard. He remains the only player to play for one franchise in every IPL edition (2008-2023).