Sharma breaks Kohli's long-standing IPL record

Dubai: Playing his first T20 game in almost a year Rohit Sharma hit a stunning 38-ball 78 as Mumbai Indians overcame Kolkata Knight Riders 224/04 in the Indian Premier League.

Sharma hit six sixes and an equal number of fours laying a solid platform for Mumbai Indians’ pursuit of 221. Sharma put on a 148-run opening partnership with Ryan Rickelton, who led the scoring with a blistering 81 off 43 deliveries, as Mumbai Indians chased down Kolkata Knight Riders’ 220/4 with five balls remaining.

The former captain of the India national cricket team produced a vintage performance to rewrite the record books, surpassing Kohli’s long-standing IPL milestone becoming the player with the most runs against a single team in IPL history, amassing 1,161 runs in 36 matches against KKR, eclipsing Kohli’s previous record of 1,159 runs against Punjab Kings.

1,161 - Rohit Sharma vs KKR

1,159 - Virat Kohli vs PBKS

1,146 - Virat Kohli vs CSK

1,134 - David Warner vs PBKS

1,130 - Virat Kohli vs DC

1,093 - David Warner vs KKR

Sharma also became just the fourth player in IPL history to register 50 or more scores of fifty-plus, joining an elite list that includes Kohli (72), David Warner (66), and Shikhar Dhawan (53).

He is also among the most decorated players in the tournament, with six IPL titles to his name, one with the Deccan Chargers and five as captain of the Mumbai Indians, making him one of the joint most successful captains in IPL history.

Having joined Mumbai in 2011, Rohit took over the captaincy in 2013 and immediately led the franchise to their maiden title, going on to captain the side for 11 seasons before being succeeded by Hardik Pandya ahead of the 2024 campaign.

He remains Mumbai Indians’ all-time leading run-scorer and is one of only four players to have crossed the 6,000-run mark in the IPL. His most prolific season came in 2013, when he amassed 538 runs in a title-winning campaign.