IPL 2021: Virat Kohli beats MS Dhoni to a T20 record during MI vs RCB

Virat Kohli beat MS Dhoni to claim a special record in T20s during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 opening game on Friday.

Kohli became the first captain in the T20s to complete 6,000 runs. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Kohli bagged the record during his side's win by two wickets over defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in Chennai.

After MI set a target of 160, Kohli opened the RCB's innings with Washington Sundar. Kohli scored 33 off 29 balls, including three fours and two sixes.

Kohli took only 168 innings to reach the landmark. He is 128 runs ahead of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni (5,872 runs in 252 innings). Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Gautam Gambhir is third on the list with 4,242 runs in 166 innings.

Australian captain Aaron Finch is fourth on the list with 4,051 runs in 126 innings, ahead of five-time IPL winning captain Rohit Sharma on the fifth slot with 3,929 runs in 140 innings.

Earlier in the match, Kohli won the toss and put MI to bat at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Chris Lynn made his MI debut after being handed the cap by his skipper Rohit. The two opened the innings for Mumbai and put up 24 runs before a mix-up saw Rohit get run out in the fourth over. Lynn went on to hammer three sixes and four fours to score a 35-ball 49. RCB fast bowler Kyle Jamieson drew second blood for his side with the dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav in the 11th over. Washington Sundar removed the big fish Chris Lynn, who on his MI debut, scored a 35-ball 49.

RCB's Harshal Patel registered the best bowling figures against MI as he finished with 5 for 27 in his quota of four overs. MI managed to put up 159 for 9 in 20 overs. In reply to that, Sundar opened the innings with Kohli. The two put up 36 runs for the opening wicket before Krunal Pandya removed the Tamil Nadu all-rounder in the fifth over. IPL debutant Rajat Patidar walked in to bat at No. 3 but just scored run-a-ball eight.

Glenn Maxwell, who failed to hit a single six last season for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), struck two big hits and three fours in his quick-fire 28-ball 39. AB de Villiers took charge after the dismissal of Kohli and Maxwell as he charged against Rahul Chahar and Trent Boult. Even though he got out on the fourth delivery of the final over, Harshal Patel ensured RCB crossed the line successfully. From one needed off the final ball of the innings, MI debutant Marco Jansen bowled a yorker, which was whipped away by Harshal to short fine leg to hand his side a nail-biting victory.

While it was a great start for Kohli and Co, it was not a surprising result for the Mumbai side as they have not won their opening game in an IPL season since 2012.

MI will look to turn tables around when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the same venue on April 13 (Tuesday). RCB, on the other hand, face Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday in Chennai.