Royal Challengers Bengaluru superstar Virat Kohli etched his name deeper into IPL history on Wednesday after becoming the most-capped player in the tournament’s history during RCB’s IPL 2026 clash against Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur. Kohli featured in his 279th IPL match, moving past MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, who were previously tied with him on 278 appearances.
The landmark moment once again highlighted Kohli’s incredible consistency, longevity, and impact in the league since the inaugural IPL season in 2008. While Dhoni remains part of the Chennai Super Kings squad this season, he is yet to feature in IPL 2026, whereas Rohit continues to represent Mumbai Indians.
Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and elected to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium. RCB captain Rajat Patidar said the surface looked similar to the one used during their previous game in Raipur and expected variable bounce to play a role once again.
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“We will bowl first. It looks like a similar wicket to the last game here. There could be variable bounce, so we want to keep them under pressure. The team is confident after the last win, and every match is crucial at this stage,” Rajat Patidar said at the toss.
RCB entered the contest sitting second on the IPL 2026 points table with seven wins from 11 matches. The Bengaluru franchise regained momentum after edging past the Mumbai Indians in a thrilling last-over contest and now finds itself firmly in the race for a top-two finish and playoff qualification.
Virat Kohli is playing his 279th IPL match today — the most by any player in the history of the league.#IPL2026 #RCBvKKR #VIRATKOHLI pic.twitter.com/5aF3X9f0Ln
— CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) May 13, 2026
On the other hand, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane admitted his side would also have preferred to bowl first but remained optimistic about KKR’s playoff chances after a remarkable turnaround in form.
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“The last four games have been really good for us as a team. Everyone has started contributing, and for us it’s about keeping things simple and taking one game at a time,” Ajinkya Rahane said.
KKR, currently eighth in the standings, have revived their campaign with four consecutive victories after a difficult start to IPL 2026. Another win against RCB would significantly strengthen their hopes of staying alive in the playoff race.
