Virat Kohli creates IPL history

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli. — BCCI/File

Virat Kohli, the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, will become the first player in the Indian Premier League's (IPL) history to play 200 matches for the same franchise when his side takes against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi tonight, according to ESPN. Since the IPL began in 2008, the Indian team skipper has played for the Challengers, batting 191 innings, hitting 6,076 runs, and maintaining a strike rate of 130.41. Over the years, the batsman has struck five centuries and 40 half-centuries, helping his team reach the tournament finals in 2009, 2011, and 2016.

"Kohli has played the most matches for a single franchise by a significant margin; MS Dhoni is second on the list with 182 appearances for the Chennai Super Kings, while his teammate Suresh Raina is third with 172 matches. Kohli ranks fifth on the record of most IPL matches played, after Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, and Raina, with 199 matches played "ESPN reported on the situation.

The captain of the Challengers is ready to create history only one day after announcing his retirement from the team after the 2021 season. 

Kohli also announced this week that he will step down as captain of India's Twenty20 team after this year's World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman due to his overwhelming schedule.

"This will be my final IPL as captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore. I'll be an RCB player till the end of the IPL season. I'd want to express my gratitude to every one of the RCB fans who has supported and believed in me "Kohli stated on the RCB's Twitter account.

"I spoke to the management this evening. This was something that was on my mind... I needed the space to refresh, regroup and be absolutely clear in how to move forward."