Virat Kohli Nears 9,000 T20 Runs for RCB in IPL Showdown

Kohli on the Verge of a Historic Milestone

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on May 27, the iconic batter for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Virat Kohli, is just 24 runs shy of becoming the first player to amass 9,000 T20 runs for a single franchise.

He has the opportunity to reach this remarkable achievement during RCB's final league match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Tuesday. A victory in this match would secure RCB a top-two finish, setting them up for a face-off against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier One, which would provide them with a second chance at reaching the IPL final.

Kohli stands as RCB's all-time leading run-scorer, with a combined total from IPL and the now-defunct Champions League T20. Over 279 matches and 270 innings, he has accumulated 8,970 runs, boasting an average of 39.54 and a strike rate of 133.49, including eight centuries and 64 fifties, with a personal best of 113*.

In the IPL alone, he holds the record for the most runs, having scored 8,552 runs in 264 matches and 256 innings, maintaining an average of 39.59, with eight centuries and 62 fifties, also with a top score of 113*.

During his 15 matches in the CLT20, Kohli has made 424 runs at an average of 38.54 and a strike rate of 150.35, including two half-centuries, making him the franchise's leading run-scorer in that competition.

This season, Kohli has been in exceptional form, leading RCB with 548 runs in 12 innings, averaging 60.88 and striking at 145.35. He has recorded seven fifties, with his highest score being 73*.

The squads for the match are as follows:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Swapnil Singh, Liam Livingstone, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Blessing Muzarabani.

Lucknow Super Giants Squad: Mitchell Marsh, Aryan Juyal, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, William O'Rourke, Akash Maharaj Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Manimaran Siddharth, David Miller, Arshin Kulkarni, Shardul Thakur, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Matthew Breetzke, RS Hangargekar, Yuvraj Chaudhary.