Virat Kohli Sets New IPL Record as Most Capped Player
Kohli Achieves Milestone in IPL History
Virat Kohli made history by being included in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lineup against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during a crucial match in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) on May 13 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan International Stadium in Raipur. Following a rain delay, RCB won the toss and opted to bowl first. The home team made two substitutions, with Venkatesh Iyer stepping in for Romario Shepherd and Jacob Duffy replacing Suyash Sharma.
Kohli Becomes Most Capped Player
Virat Kohli Creates History
This match marks Kohli's 279th appearance in the IPL, making him the player with the most matches played in the league's history. He surpassed the previous record he shared with MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. Dhoni played his 278th match in the last league game of the 2025 season against Gujarat Titans, while both Rohit and Kohli reached this milestone together on May 10 during RCB's match against the Mumbai Indians (MI).
Most Capped IPL Players| Player | Matches Played | Teams |
| Virat Kohli | 279 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| MS Dhoni | 278 | Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiants |
| Rohit Sharma | 278 | Deccan Chargers, Mumbai |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 265 | Rajasthan Royals, Kochi Tuskers, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Lions |
| Dinesh Karthik | 257 | Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Lions, Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 222 | Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings |
| R Ashwin | 221 | Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiants, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 208 | Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Rising Pune Supergiants, Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Suresh Raina | 205 | Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Lions |
| Robin Uthappa | 205 | Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Pune Warriors India, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings |
Kohli also holds the record for the most matches played for a single franchise, with no other player surpassing 250 games for one team. Dhoni follows with 248 matches for Chennai Super Kings, while Rohit has played 232 for Mumbai Indians.
Future Prospects for Kohli's Record
Kohli Set To Hold Record At Season End
Rohit Sharma is expected to match Kohli's record on May 14 when MI faces Punjab Kings in Dharamshala. However, Kohli is likely to maintain his lead by the end of the season, barring any injuries. While Mumbai is out of playoff contention, RCB is poised to qualify, which would allow them to play additional matches. If both players participate in their respective games, they will finish the season with the same number of matches played. Notably, Dhoni remains part of the CSK squad but has yet to play this season due to a calf injury and did not travel with the team for their upcoming match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 15. For Dhoni to surpass both Rohit and Kohli, he would need to play in the last two league matches and help CSK reach the playoffs.