Royal Challengers Bengaluru continued their strong run in the ongoing IPL season as they faced Kolkata Knight Riders in a high-pressure encounter on Wednesday. While RCB are comfortably placed in the playoff race and still eyeing a top-two finish, KKR entered the contest with little room for error. Ajinkya Rahane’s side now needs victories in every remaining game to stay alive in the tournament.
However, before the match could properly get underway, Virat Kohli stole the spotlight with a historic achievement.
Kohli becomes IPL’s most-capped player
Rain delayed the toss in Raipur, with the match eventually starting at 8:45 PM IST. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl first against Kolkata. But even before the first ball was delivered, Kohli had already created history.
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The former India captain stepped onto the field for his 279th IPL appearance, making him the player with the highest number of matches in the tournament’s history. With this feat, Kohli moved past both Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who previously shared the top spot with 278 matches each.
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Virat Kohli continues to redefine greatness #TATAIPL 2026 | #ViratKohli, #RoyalChallengersBengaluru pic.twitter.com/7rGFxvnieY
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 13, 2026
Dhoni had reached the mark during Chennai Super Kings’ final league-stage game against Gujarat Titans in the 2025 season. Earlier this year, Kohli and Rohit had also equalled the tally during the RCB versus Mumbai Indians clash. Wednesday’s appearance finally pushed Kohli ahead of the two Indian greats.
Kohli’s unmatched loyalty to RCB
Apart from becoming the IPL’s most-capped cricketer, Kohli also continues to dominate another unique record. He remains the player with the highest number of matches for a single franchise in IPL history.
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The batting superstar has played more than 250 matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru alone, a feat unmatched by any other player in the competition. Kohli has represented Bengaluru ever since the inaugural IPL season in 2008 and remains one of the few cricketers to stay with a single franchise throughout his IPL journey.
Dhoni follows him on the list with 248 appearances for Chennai Super Kings, while Rohit Sharma has played 232 matches for Mumbai Indians.
