IPL 2026 | From Delhi lanes to global fame: Virat Kohli's life comes full circle at home ground

28 April,2026 12:14 PM IST |  Mumbai  |  Sujay Shivalkar

RCB defeated Delhi Capitals by nine wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with Kohli scoring an unbeaten 23 off 15 balls to become the first player in IPL history to reach 9000 runs. The milestone comes at his home ground in Delhi, marking a perfect full circle for the former India captain

Cricket fans click photos of Virat Kohli as he walks down the stairs at a stadium (Pic: AFP)


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In the IPL 2026 match against Delhi Capitals (DC), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) emerged victorious by nine wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

During the match, RCB's stalwart Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 23 off 15 balls, including a boundary and two maximums.

With this, the right-handed batsman scripted history by becoming the first player to reach the feat of completing 9000 in the league.

What made his knock special was not the exceptional shots he played with his willow or the swift running between the wickets, but the venue where he achieved the milestone.

From the lanes of Delhi to being idolised across the globe, Virat Kohli has achieved it all. He had earlier scripted a similar emotional moment during the ODI World Cup 2023, when the right-handed batsman scored his 50th ODI century in front of his idol Sachin Tendulkar, at the latter's home ground, Wankhede Stadium.

However, the journey has not been easy. Over the years, Virat Kohli has often found himself at the centre of criticism - from being a trophyless captain to shouldering the blame for the team's shocking batting collapse of 49 all out against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

But while several big names were embroiled in match-fixing controversies, he stayed on the shore and focused on improving his skillset.

Over the years, Virat Kohli's honest contributions to the Bengaluru-based franchise have earned him praise from athletes across the world. From Novak Djokovic to Vinicius Junior, many global stars have been impressed by his exceptional work ethic and achievements, both in the IPL and at the international level.

Coming back to the ongoing edition of the cash-rich league, defending champions RCB have continued their decent form and are placed second on the points table.

After securing a mammoth victory over the Capitals, Bengaluru's favourite men will now gear up to lock horns with the Gujarat Titans (GT) on Thursday, April 30, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans: Full squads

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Phil Salt (WK), Rajat Patidar (C), Nuwan Thushara, Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Vicky Ostwal, Mangesh Yadav, Suyash Sharma, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal.

Gujarat Titans: Ishant Sharma, Jos Buttler (WK), Jason Holder, Jayant Yadav, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Tewatia, Luke Wood, Shahrukh Khan, Glenn Phillips, Prasidh Krishna, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Sai Kishore, Shubman Gill (C), Tom Banton (WK), Yarra Raj, Anuj Rawat, Sai Sudharsan, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra (WK), Arshad Khan, Nishant Sandhu, Gurnoor Brar, Ashok Sharma.

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