Virat Kohli Returns to Cricket After 2 Months: His Record vs SRH at Chinnaswamy Will Shock You
The wait is over. Virat Kohli steps back onto a cricket field tonight after more than 70 days away from the game — and he does it at Chinnaswamy Stadium, in front of his most passionate crowd, against a team he has historically dominated.
Kohli's last competitive outing was the 3rd ODI against New Zealand on January 18, 2026 — a match he ended with a century. Since then, silence. No Ranji Trophy, no bilateral series, no warm-up games. Tonight's IPL 2026 opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad marks his return.
The numbers frame the contest starkly. In the IPL, Kohli has scored 805 runs against SRH alone — at an average of 36.59, strike rate of 141.97, with five fifties and a hundred. At Chinnaswamy against this opposition, those numbers jump: 333 runs in 8 matches at an average of 47.57. This is as favorable a setting as Kohli could have asked for.
There's also history within reach. A knock of just 29 tonight would see him overtake Shoaib Malik in the all-time T20 run-scorer rankings — a global milestone that would make headlines well beyond cricket circles.
RCB coach Andy Flower spoke about Kohli in the pre-match press conference with visible admiration. He described the 36-year-old as being at the peak of his powers — physically, technically, and mentally — and highlighted his unique ability to keep driving himself even after achieving everything the game has to offer.
For SRH, the challenge of keeping Kohli quiet is complicated by the absence of Pat Cummins, their frontline pace spearhead, who is unavailable due to injury. The bowling attack that faces Kohli tonight — largely comprising Jaydev Unadkat, Harshal Patel, and Brydon Carse — has clear vulnerabilities on a surface that has averaged 194 in first-innings T20I scores over the past three seasons.
Bengaluru will be on its feet from the moment Kohli walks to the crease. The city has waited nearly 11 months for cricket to return to Chinnaswamy — and tonight, their most beloved player leads the charge.
If the milestone comes, it will be the loudest 29 runs ever scored.
Match: RCB vs SRH | IPL 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | JioHotstar & Star Sports 2 HD
