Virat Kohli in IPL knockouts: What do the stats say?

The highly anticipated IPL 2025 (Indian Premier League) playoffs will take place on Thursday, May 29. Notably, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will face the Punjab Kings (PBKS), and they appear to be among the favourites to win the title heading into the crucial knockout games. This has been another season in which RCB legend Virat Kohli has been the focus of attention for the Men in Red due to his outstanding batsmanship.

The 36-year-old top-order batter has scored 602 runs in 13 games, averaging 60.20 with a strike rate of 147.91. There is no doubt that Virat has been in excellent form this season, but the knockout stages are always a difficult challenge for any player. The former RCB captain has constantly been one of the team’s most important players, delivering match-winning innings under pressure. However, this time, the attention is on his postseason performances.

Despite the fact that RCB has never won a title in the last 17 years, qualifying for the playoffs has been a non-issue throughout the seasons. This marks the franchise’s tenth top-four finish. Virat Kohli has been with the organisation since the tournament’s start in 2008, and he is the only RCB player to have played in every playoff match.

Virat Kohli statistics in IPL playoff history

There is no denying that Kohli has an outstanding record in ICC knockout competitions, but the same cannot be said about his performance in the IPL playoffs. Kohli has played 15 knockout games with the franchise, scoring 341 runs at an average of 26.23 and a strike rate of only 121.79. In these contests, the RCB legend has only scored 50 or more runs twice.

The last half-century in an IPL playoff occurred in the 2016 final against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), which the Bengaluru club lost by eight runs. The former RCB captain had hit 54 runs off 35 deliveries before getting removed by Barinder Sran.

Virat Kohli’s overall IPL Playoffs