The defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru(RCB) are ready to defend their crown in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Narendra
Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Sunday, May 31. They booked their place into the finals by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) comprehensively in Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala.
IPL’s greatest run-scorer, Virat Kohli, will be entering the fifth IPL final of his career with this epic encounter. The legendary Indian batter has been an integral part of the league since its inception and ended his trophy drought with an epic triumph over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2025 final.
Kohli has participated in four IPL finals overall and has enjoyed a decent run in them with the bat. Let’s take a look at his overall record in the ultimate showdowns of the league over the years.
2009: 7 off eight balls (vs Deccan Chargers)
The 20-year-old Virat Kohli played his first-ever IPL final against DC, which resulted in a heartbreak for RCB. They failed to chase down the target 144 at The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. It was a disappointing outing for the young Virat Kohli as he only managed to score 7 runs from 8 balls.
2011 IPL final vs Chennai Super Kings
In an epic encounter, RCB faced off against CSKin the finals of the IPL 2011 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Chasing a mammoth target of 206, RCB faced yet another heartbreak in an IPL final. They only managed to score 147 runs in their 20 overs, losing the contest by 58 runs. Virat Kohli batted at number 3 in this clash, scoring just 35 runs in 32 balls.
2016: 54 off 35 (vs Sunrisers Hyderabad)
It was a season for the ages by the Indian maestro as he single-handedly took RCB into the finals in IPL 2016, this time as a captain of the side. The right-hander had scored 973 runs in 16 innings, setting an all-time IPL record. Facing their arch-rivals SRH, the Virat Kohli-led side faced a defeat in the finals. Chasing a target of 209, the Royal Challengers' batting line-up crumbled under pressure. They eventually lost the match by 9 runs, with Virat managing to score 54 runs in 35 balls.
2025: 43 off 35 (vs Punjab Kings)
The 18-year wait finally ended for Virat Kohli and RCB as they lifted their first-ever IPL trophy with an 8-run victory over Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Batting first, RCBposted a strong total of 190 runs in their 20 overs, with Virat smashing a valuable 43 runs in 35 balls.
Overall, the legendary RCB batter has scored 139 runs in four innings across four IPL finals in his career, with one fifty-plus score.
