The Indian Premier League is in its 18th edition. Over the years, it has continued to thrill audiences around the globe with glorious exhibitions of power-packed performances, nail-biting clashes, and global appeal. The league has been ever-dynamic in terms of various parameters so far. However, Virat Kohli has continued to be a constant force amidst the chaos.
Kohli stands as one amongst four players to have played in all 18 editions of the IPL till date. Ever since the inception of the marquee T20 league, Kohli has represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He has since grown into one of the most iconic faces of the tournament when it comes to batting brilliance and on-field passion.
Kohli’s supporters and cricket fans in general have witnessed his evolution from an upcoming youngster to a seasoned pro who has enjoyed carrying the burden of expectations on his shoulders.
Over the years, fans have witnessed his evolution from a promising youngster to a seasoned maestro who has carried the weight of expectations on his shoulders. In this article, we will rank all of Kohli’s individual IPL seasons from 2008 to 2025 in terms of impact, statistics, and influence on the game.
Rating Virat Kohli’s IPL Career: Best to worst seasons
1. IPL 2016
The 2016 instalment of the IPL remains Kohli’s most prolific one. With an unprecedented tally of 973 runs in 16 games, he stood as the leading run-getter of the season by quite some distance. A total of seven fifties and four tons were scored at an impressive strike rate of 152.03.
RCB finished second on the points table, with 16 points from 14 games. They defeated the now-defunct Gujarat Lions in Qualifier 1 to secure their place in the final. It was not meant to be for RCB, as Sunrisers Hyderabad ended up clinching a narrow eight-run victory at the Chinnaswamy.
2. IPL 2024
The 2024 season does not stand much behind than 2016 in terms of the sheer prowess which was displayed by Kohli. He accounted for 741 runs in 15 games. This was the same season in which he ended up scoring his highest score in the IPL (113*) as well as his highest strike rate (154.69) thus far.
After just one win in their first eight games, Kohli & Co. turned the tables to win six games in a row to just about qualify for the playoffs. Unfortunately, they were defeated by the Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator by four wickets.
