KL Rahul vs Virat Kohli - Comparing their stats after 134 IPL matches

KL Rahul and Virat Kohli have been the epitome of consistency in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Making his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2008, Kohli has been the most prolific batter with 8,101 runs in 255 games at an average of 38.76, with eight centuries. So far, he has garnered 97 runs in three innings in IPL 2025, with a top knock of 59*.

Meanwhile, Rahul has been a key contributor to his respective sides at the top order. Representing the Delhi Capitals this season, the right-hander has garnered 92 runs in two appearances, with the best knock of 77.

On that note, let's take a look at how KL Rahul fares in comparison to Virat Kohli after the first 134 games in the cash-rich league.

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#1 Average & strike-rate

KL Rahul’s IPL debut came in the 2013 season for RCB. He then played a couple of seasons for Sunrisers Hyderabad, before returning to play a solitary season for RCB in 2016.

Rahul's best IPL performances came for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) from 2018 to 2021, where he smashed around 600 runs every season. In IPL 2020, he scored 670 runs at an average of 55.83, with a solitary century and five fifties.

The right-hander did well for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as well, racking up 1,410 runs in 38 appearances from 2022 to 24, with two centuries and 10 fifties.

So far, KL Rahul has garnered 4,775 runs at an average of 45.48 and a strike rate of 135.08, with four centuries and 38 fifties.

Player	Runs	Average	Strike rate
KL Rahul	4775	45.48	135.08
Virat Kohli	3814	36.32	128.50

Making his IPL debut in 2008, Virat Kohli failed to prove his merit in the first season. It was the 2011 season when he began to convert his starts into substantial knocks.

In his first 134 games, Kohli scored 3,814 runs at an average of 36.32 at a strike rate of 128.50. His top score of 99 came in the 2013 season against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), helping RCB win by four runs.

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#2 Captaincy

KL Rahul started his leadership stint in 2020 for Punjab Kings (PBKS). In his second game as a captain, he smashed 132* off 69 balls against RCB. However, the side could not reach the playoffs until the 2021 edition under Rahul.

Then, Rahul led LSG and helped them qualify for the playoffs in two (2022 & 2023) of the three editions. In 64 games, Rahul has a 32-32 win-loss record as a captain in the league.

Captain	Matches	Wins	Loss	No result
KL Rahul	64	32	32	0
Virat Kohli	67	35	29	3

Virat Kohli received an opportunity to lead RCB in 2011 for the first time. He then became the regular captain of the franchise in 2013. Under his leadership in his first 134 games, the side qualified for the playoffs in 2015. In 67 games as captain during that period, RCB managed to reach taste victories on 35 occasions.

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#3 50+ scores in a winning cause

A batter's worth is decided by his ability to play a big knock in a winning cause. So far, KL Rahul has got past the 50-run mark on 42 occasions. These knocks have helped his respective sides to end on the right side of the result 23 times.

Notably, Rahul slammed two centuries against Mumbai Indians in the 20232 season, and both ended in wins.

layer	50+ scores	Winning cause	Losing cause
KL Rahul	42	23	19
Virat Kohli	23	12	11

Virat Kohli managed to reach the score of 50+ on 23 occasions until his 134th appearance in the T20 league. His contributions paved the way for RCB to win 12 games.

Unfortunately, Kohli's first century in 2016 against Gujarat Lions came in a losing note, where he scored 100* off 63 balls.