Has Virat Kohli aced IPL finals with the bat? Stats
What's the story
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are on the cusp of making history in the 2026 Indian Premier League. They have been qualified for the final for the second successive time, having lifted their maiden IPL title last year. Their journey to the summit clash has been marked by a clean win against the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1. As Virat Kohli has featured in each of RCB's four previous IPL finals, let's look at his performances in these games.
2009
Poor show in 2009 final
RCB reached their maiden IPL final in 2009, where they suffered a narrow six-run defeat against the now-defunct Deccan Chargers. Chasing 144 in Johannesburg, RCB lost wickets at regular intervals. A young Kohli could only score seven runs from eight balls while batting at six. He was dismissed by the late Andrew Symonds as RCB fell short in the run chase.
2011
Decent hand in 2011 final
Two years later, RCB made it to the final again but were handed a heavy 58-run defeat by Chennai Super Kings in Chennai. Chasing a massive 206 in the game, RCB were restricted to 147/8. Kohli, who came to bat at number three, scored 35 runs from 32 balls. He hit one four and a six.
2016
Half-century in 2016 final
The 2016 IPL final was a different story for Kohli and RCB. They lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight runs while chasing 209 in Bengaluru. Kohli, who had an exceptional season, scored a quickfire 54 off just 35 balls with five fours and two sixes. He shared a massive partnership of 114 runs with Chris Gayle for the first wicket. Notably, Kohli finished that edition with 973 runs. No other batter has managed 900 runs in an IPL season.
2025
Another decent hand in 2025 finale
In IPL 2025, RCB finally broke the long-standing curse and lifted their maiden IPL trophy with a dominant performance against Punjab Kings in the final. Kohli top-scored for his team, having made 43 from 35 balls at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. His knock had three fours. Kohli's efforts meant RCB finished at 190/9 while batting first. The team then went on to record a six-run win.
Career
Here are his overall stats
Earlier this season, Kohli became the first player to complete 9,000 IPL runs. The 37-year-old will enter the finale clash with 9,261 runs under his belt across 282 IPL matches, averaging 40.09. The tally includes nine tons, the most in the tournament (50s: 67). Across 15 games this season, Kohli has raced to 600 runs at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 164.38. He has gone past the 50-run mark five times, including a hundred.