IPL 2025, PBKS vs RCB Qualifier 1: How Virat Kohli has performed in the playoffs?

Virat Kohli's playoff performances will be crucial for RCB in Qualifier 1 against PBKS. Despite a decent playoff record, Kohli's current form and past success against PBKS make him a key player.

Image Credit : ANI

Virat Kohli's IPL playoffs record

Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are set to face off in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh’s Mullanpur on Thursday, May 29.

Punjab Kings qualified for the playoffs as the table toppers, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Lucknow Super Giants to take the second spot in the playoffs and book their berth in qualifier 1. PBKS and RCB are meeting for the third time in the ongoing IPL season. The last encounter between them was in the league stage at Mullanpur, where RCB defeated PBKS by seven wickets.

As PBKS and RCB take on each other in the much-anticipated Qualifier 1, the spotlight will be on Virat Kohli, whose playoff performances and red-hot form make him a key player for the RCB as they are aiming to inch closer to their maiden IPL title. Let’s take a look at how Kohli has performed in the playoffs.

Image Credit : ANI

Virat Kohli's playoff history

Virat Kohli made his entry into the playoffs when Royal Challengers Bangalore faced Chennai Super Kings in the second semifinal of the IPL 2009. Kohli played a vital innings of 24 off 17 balls to help RCB secure their berth in the final against the Deccan Chargers. However, Bangalore failed to get hold of the trophy in their maiden final appearance. Since then, Kohli has played in 14 matches in the playoffs, including three finals. Kohli’s last appearance in the playoffs was in the Eliminator against the Rajasthan Royals last year, when the Royal Challengers Bengaluru were knocked out of the tournament. Virat Kohli is set to play his fifth playoff in the last six seasons.

Image Credit : ANI

How did Kohli perform in the playoffs?

Despite amassing 8004 in 252 matches till 2024, Virat Kohli has a decent record in the playoffs as he aggregated 341 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 26.23 and a strike rate of 121.78. The right-handed batter is currently ninth on the list of leading run-getters in the history of IPL playoffs, after Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Shubman Gill, Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, Murali Vijay, and Dwayne Smith. Virat Kohli, with his experience and hunger for success, has remained a vital cog for Royal Challengers Bengaluru as they aim to end their title drought and make a mark in the playoffs again.

Image Credit : ANI

Kohli’s best innings in the playoffs?

One of the notable performances of Virat Kohli was in the 2009 IPL semifinal, where he contributed with a vital innings of 24 off 17 balls to help Royal Challengers Bangalore chase down a 149-run target set by Chennai Super Kings. His best performance in the 2011 final against the then-defending champions CSK, scoring an unbeaten 70 off 44 balls to help RCB post a total of 175/4, but his effort went in vain as Suresh Raina’s unbeaten 73 off 50 balls powered CSK to a comfortable sixth-wicket victory, clinching their second consecutive IPL title and denying RCB their maiden championship. When RCB last reached the final in 2016, Virat Kohli played a captain's innings of 54 off 35 balls in a steep chase of 209, but the side fell eight runs short of the target, denying the third chance of winning the title.

Image Credit : ANI

What to expect from Kohli in Qualifier 1?

Virat Kohli is in incredible form in the ongoing IPL season, amassing 602 runs, including 8 fifties, at an average of 60.80 in 13 matches. Kohli’s last outing against Punjab Kings was in the league stage of the IPL 2025, scoring a match-winning innings of 73 off 54 balls. Additionally, the star batter has a great record against Punjab, aggregating 1104 runs, including a century and six fifties, at an average of 36.80 in 34 matches. With momentum on his side, along with a proven track record against PBKS, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are expected to bank on Virat Kohli’s experience and composure at the top to set the tone in Qualifier 1, as they aim to book their spot in the final for the fourth time in the IPL.