Virat Kohli vs Sanju Samson

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 42nd match of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). The match is scheduled for Thursday, April 24, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

RCB currently sit fourth on the points table with 10 points from eight matches but are yet to register a win at home, having lost all three games played at their fortress so far. Meanwhile, the Royals are struggling in eighth place with just four points from eight outings.

All eyes will be on Virat Kohli, who has been in sublime form this season, amassing 322 runs in eight innings at an average of 64.40, including four half-centuries. On the other hand, Rajasthan will be without their regular captain and key batter, Sanju Samson, who has been ruled out of this fixture due to an abdominal injury sustained against the Delhi Capitals (DC).

Meanwhile, both Kohli and Samson have been pivotal to their respective franchises over the years. With that context, this article compares their IPL performances after 175 matches.

Comparing the stats of Virat Kohli and Sanju Samson after 175 IPL matches

#1 Most runs

Virat Kohli has played 260 matches in his IPL career and stands as the tournament’s all-time leading run-scorer, with 8,326 runs at an average of 39.27 and a strike rate of 132.26. He has registered 59 half-centuries and eight centuries—the most by any player in IPL history. Notably, in his first 175 matches, the veteran batter had accumulated 5,371 runs.

Player	Matches	Innings	Runs
Virat Kohli	175	167	5371
Sanju Samson	175	170	4643

In comparison, Sanju Samson, who made his IPL debut in the 2013 season, has featured in 175 games so far, scoring 4,643 runs.

#2 Average and Strike rate

In his first 175 IPL matches, Virat Kohli maintained an impressive average of 38.09 with a strike rate of 131.06.

Player	Matches	Average	Strike rate
Virat Kohli	175	38.09	131.06
Sanju Samson	175	30.95	139.17

In comparison, Sanju Samson, after completing 175 IPL games, holds a lower average of 30.95 but edges ahead in terms of strike rate, boasting 139.17.

#3 Most 50-plus scores

During his first 175 IPL matches, Virat Kohli registered 36 half-centuries and five centuries. His highest score in this period was an explosive 113 off 50 balls against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 2016 season at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Player	Matches	Fifties	Hundreds	Highest score
Virat Kohli	175	36	5	113
Sanju Samson	175	26	3	119

In comparison, Sanju Samson has notched up 26 fifties and three centuries in his 175-match IPL career. His highest score came in the 2021 season—a brilliant 119 off 63 deliveries against Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

#4 Runs in a winning cause

Virat Kohli’s side emerged victorious on 82 occasions in his first 175 IPL games. In these wins, the right-handed batter scored 2,775 runs in 76 innings at an average of 47.89 and a strike rate of 139.95, including 17 fifties and four centuries.

Player	Innings	Runs	Average	Strike rate
Virat Kohli	76	2775	47.89	139.95
Sanju Samson	81	2439	36.40	142.63

Meanwhile, Sanju Samson has featured in 175 IPL matches, with his team winning 84 of them. In those games, he has amassed 2,439 runs in 81 innings at an average of 36.40 and a strike rate of 142.63, registering 14 fifties and one century.