The IPL career of Virat Kohli has gone hand in hand with that of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and it has been a tough ride. Having narrowly missed the trophy in Johannesburg to witness the trophy hoisting in 2025, Kohli was part of four finals during his IPL career. These finals took place in 2009, 2011, 2016, and finally, in 2025. Whereas RCB made five IPL final appearances, Kohli made four finals and witnessed everything from loss, collapse, and ultimate triumph. Numbers in IPL finals cannot be considered solely as achievements of Virat Kohli, but these numbers are indicative of his participation in big matches during his IPL tenure. In the four finals Kohli played, he aggregated 139 runs at an average of 34.75 including one half century.
RCB’s participation in IPL finals always brought along high hopes and expectations owing to Kohli’s involvement. But year after year, the team kept missing out on victory at the last stage. Kohli himself went through an evolution process during this period where he debuted in 2009 final as a debutant batter and entered the final in 2025 final as a face of RCB’s championship run.
1. IPL 2009 Final
Kohli played his first IPL final in 2009 when RCB faced Deccan Chargers in Johannesburg. RCB were chasing 144 after skipper Anil Kumble delivered a match-winning spell of 4/16 with the ball. The target looked achievable, but RCB’s batting struggled on a difficult pitch. Kohli came in at number six and managed seven runs from eight balls. Andrew Symonds dismissed him at a crucial stage after a stumping by Adam Gilchrist. RCB eventually finished at 137/9 and lost the final by six runs. It was a painful beginning to Kohli’s IPL final journey.
2. IPL 2011 Final
RCB made it back into the finals two years later where they played against CSK in Chepauk. CSK posted an imposing total of 205/5 thanks to Murali Vijay’s scintillating 95 that left RCB struggling right away. It got difficult for the chasing side as Chris Gayle was bowled out by a duck in the very first over. While Kohli managed to play an anchor role and scored 35 off 32 deliveries, he could not keep up the chase along with his batting partner AB de Villiers. Kohli finally got out LBW to Suresh Raina and they ended up getting all out for 147/8 and suffered a 58-run defeat.
3. IPL 2016 Final
This final of 2016 against Sunrisers Hyderabad stands among the greatest chances lost in the history of RCB. Going into this game, Kohli had already broken records for himself that season where he made a total of 973 runs. RCB was required to chase a target of 209 in their own backyard of Bengaluru, and they went hard right from the start, along with Chris Gayle. Their opening combination managed to score 114 runs very quickly and put the team in charge. Kohli smashed 54 off 35 balls with five fours and two sixes. But after his dismissal, the innings just lacked direction and fell apart to 200/7, losing by eight runs despite dominating most of the chase.
4. IPL 2025 Final
The 2025 IPL final against Punjab Kings became the turning point in Kohli’s long IPL story. After years of near-misses, RCB finally delivered on the biggest stage. Kohli played a composed knock of 43 runs and anchored the innings during key phases. His calm approach helped RCB build a competitive total without losing early wickets. Later, Krunal Pandya’s bowling performance restricted Punjab Kings just short of the target. RCB sealed a six-run victory and ended their 18-year wait for the IPL trophy. For Kohli, it was the moment that completed his IPL career journey.
