Virat Kohli holds the record for the most runs against a single team in IPL history with 1,174 runs against Chennai Super Kings in 36 matches. He reclaimed the record on 5 April 2026 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, just seven days after Rohit Sharma had taken it from him with 1,161 runs vs Kolkata Knight Riders.
This article covers the full leaderboard, how the record changed hands twice in a week, and what these tallies actually mean.
Most Runs Against a Single Team in IPL: Quick Snapshot
Five batters have crossed the 1,100-run mark against a single IPL franchise. Three of those tallies belong to Virat Kohli.
| Rank | Player | Opponent | Matches | Runs | 50s/100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | Chennai Super Kings | 36 | 1,174 | 10/0 |
| 2 | Virat Kohli | Delhi Capitals | 33 | 1,172 | 11/0 |
| 3 | Rohit Sharma | Kolkata Knight Riders | 36 | 1,161 | 7/1 |
| 4 | Virat Kohli | Punjab Kings | 36 | 1,159 | 6/1 |
| 5 | David Warner | Punjab Kings | 26 | 1,134 | 13/0 |
What stands out: Kohli has scored every run for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Rohit’s tally is split between the Deccan Chargers and the Mumbai Indians. Now let’s break down each entry.
Virat Kohli vs Chennai Super Kings: 1,174 runs
Virat Kohli’s 1,174 runs against CSK is the highest tally any batter has put up against a single franchise in IPL history. He’s done it across 36 matches at an average of 37.87 and a strike rate of 128.30.
The standout numbers from this rivalry:
- Highest score: 90* against CSK (still unbeaten)
- 10 fifty-plus scores, the most by any batter against a single IPL team
- Strike rate at Chinnaswamy vs CSK: 149.04
- No centuries despite 19 years of trying
That last point is funny in its own way. Kohli has 8 IPL centuries, but none against the team he’s scored the most runs against. The classic case of consistent demolition without the headline knock.
Virat Kohli vs Delhi Capitals: 1,172 runs
Kohli’s second-best record against any IPL team is 1,172 runs against Delhi Capitals (DC) in 33 matches. This is just two runs behind his CSK total but produced in three fewer matches.
Quick stats:
- Average against DC: 48.83, his highest against a major opponent
- Strike rate: 134.40
- 11 fifties, but again no centuries
- Most recent contribution: a clinical knock-in DC vs RCB on 27 April 2026
Kohli’s record against Delhi is more efficient than his CSK record. Fewer matches, similar runs, higher average. The match-up clearly works for him.
Rohit Sharma vs Kolkata Knight Riders: 1,161 runs
Rohit Sharma held the record briefly between 29 March and 5 April 2026 with his 1,161 runs against KKR. The Hitman crossed the line with a blistering 78 off 38 balls at Wankhede Stadium.
Rohit’s tally is unique because:
- He played for two different franchises during this run: Deccan Chargers (2008-10) and Mumbai Indians (2011-present)
- It includes his 50th IPL half-century, joining Kohli, Warner, and Dhawan in that club
- He averaged 40.03 vs KKR with a strike rate of 131.18
- One century and seven fifties against the three-time champions
- He was the first player to score 1,000 runs against an opposition team
Rohit’s 78 also came in his first competitive match since the NZ ODI series in January 2026. He skipped the 2026 T20 World Cup entirely and was used sparingly as an Impact Sub last season. Yet he walked out at Wankhede looking fitter than ever.
Virat Kohli vs Punjab Kings: 1,159 runs
Kohli’s 1,159 runs against the Punjab Kings is his original “single team” record that stood for years before Rohit overtook it in March 2026. He’s played 36 matches against PBKS at an average of 36.21 and a strike rate of 132.60.
The PBKS record is interesting because:
- This is where Kohli has his only century against his top opponents
- Six fifties alongside that hundred
- A solid scoring rate above 130 across nearly two decades
- Punjab Kings have been a bottom-half team for most of this period
Three of the top four entries on the all-time list belong to Kohli. That’s not a coincidence. It’s just maths catching up to consistency.
David Warner vs Punjab Kings: 1,134 runs
David Warner’s 1,134 runs against PBKS are the only entry from a non-Indian player in this top-five list. The Australian opener achieved this in just 26 innings, the fewest among any player on the leaderboard.
Warner’s PBKS record is built on:
- Highest average in this list: 49.30
- Strike rate: 144.27, also the most aggressive
- 13 fifties across 26 innings, exceptional consistency
- Career-best 126 vs KKR in 2017, but his bread-and-butter was Punjab
Warner played his last IPL match in May 2024 vs RCB at Chinnaswamy. His tally is now frozen unless he stages a return, but few overseas batters have a record this clean against a single Indian franchise.
Other Notable Cross-Team Run Tallies
A few more numbers worth flagging if you’re tracking franchise-specific dominance:
- David Warner vs KKR: 1,075 runs from 27 games, with 2 centuries
- Rohit Sharma vs KKR: includes his only century against KKR
- Suresh Raina (CSK legend) – top scorer with 5,528 IPL runs across his career
- AB de Villiers averaged 39.70 across 184 IPL matches with 5,162 runs
Cross-team consistency tells you who actually performs across opposition styles. Anyone can blast one team with weak bowling. Doing it against four different attacks over 17 years is harder.
How the Record Changed Hands Twice in IPL 2026
The 2026 season produced one of the more entertaining rivalries in IPL stat history. Here’s the timeline:
29 March 2026: Rohit Sharma scored 78 off 38 against KKR at Wankhede. His tally vs KKR jumped to 1,161, going past Kohli’s old mark of 1,159 vs PBKS. New record.
5 April 2026: Kohli walked out for RCB vs CSK at Chinnaswamy needing 16 runs to reclaim the record. He hit 28 off 18 before being caught at long-on off Anshul Kamboj. RCB posted 250 for 3, the highest IPL 2026 total.
The record changed hands within seven days. Both legends are now 37 (Kohli) and 38 (Rohit), but neither shows any sign of slowing down. The next move belongs to Rohit whenever Mumbai face KKR again in Phase 2.
Why Kohli’s CSK Record Matters Differently
Three context points worth holding alongside the raw 1,174 runs:
One franchise, no movement: Kohli has played his entire IPL career for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the only player on this list whose tally is from a single franchise’s perspective. Rohit’s record spans the Deccan Chargers and the Mumbai Indians.
The “no century” catch: 10 fifty-plus scores against CSK and not one of them converted to three figures. Most batters with 1,100+ runs against an opponent have at least one ton. Kohli doesn’t.
Stadium effect: His Chinnaswamy strike rate against CSK sits at 149.04, well above his career average. Bengaluru crowd support is real and measurable.
The record also shows Kohli’s 2025 RCB title win carried real weight. He scored 657 runs in 15 matches at an average of 54.75 in that title-winning campaign.
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Final Word: The Most Runs Against A Single Team In IPL Title Sits With Virat Kohli At 1,174 Vs CSK
With IPL 2026 still active, both players will get more chances to extend their tallies. Worth noting: only Kohli has three entries in the top four, and all his runs come from one franchise. That’s the kind of consistency selectors and fantasy players have been pricing in for nearly two decades. Watch the next MI vs KKR fixture closely.
