IPL 2021: Virat Kohli set to become first player to play 200 IPL matches for one franchise

Virat Kohli has been the lynchpin of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) side for more than a decade. The RCB skipper has thwarted several bowling attacks with splendor and has etched his name as one of the greatest willow wielders in the history of the IPL.

And, when Kohli takes the field for the RCB side on 20th September 2021 against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) side, the Kohli IPL story will have another glorious chapter added to it.

Kohli will step out in RCB colours in IPL cricket for the 200th time, and he will be the first man from the Bangalore side to achieve the feat. The right-hander is currently the highest run-scorer (6076 runs) in the IPL and has also plundered a staggering 5 hundreds in IPL cricket as well.

Virat Kohli will become the 5th player to play 200 IPL matches

Virat Kohli is, however, not the first man to feature in 200 IPL matches. MS Dhoni currently holds the record for playing the most matches in IPL history. The Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) skipper has played a mind-boggling 212 IPL matches and has scored 4672 runs in IPL cricket. The other 3 players who have played over 200 matches are Rohit Sharma (207 matches), Dinesh Karthik (203 matches), and Suresh Raina (201 matches).

But then, what makes Kohli’s feat special is the fact that he will become the first cricketer to have played 200 IPL matches for a single franchise. Kohli also announced that he will be stepping down as the RCB skipper after the 2021 edition of the IPL.

However, Kohli added that he will continue to play for the RCB side till his last IPL game. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) side is currently occupying 3rd place in the points table and has emerged triumphant in 5 out of the 7 matches that it has played in the tournament.

Here is the list of the top 5 players who have played the most matches in IPL history