KL Rahul has more 500-run IPL seasons than anyone except Virat Kohli — DC vs RR IPL 2026

During the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash between the Delhi Capitals (DC) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, the veteran opening batter of the DC side, KL Rahul, completes another 500-run edition of the 20-over franchise competition. 

Undoubtedly, Rahul has been one of the most impressive and consistent batters of the league. In the ongoing season, he has smashed 533 runs in 13 innings at an average of more than 44 and a strike rate of around 172, thanks to four half-centuries and one century at the best score of unbeaten 152 runs against the Punjab Kings.

How many 500-run IPL seasons does Virat Kohli have —and exactly how many does KL Rahul need to equal him?

KL Rahul has crossed the 500-run mark in every single season of the IPL since 2018, apart from 2023, when he could collect only 274 runs in nine innings when he was ruled out of the competition with an injury while featuring for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). 

That means the Indian batter has scored more than 500 runs in eight seasons, which is the second-best in the history of the league. His best overall season with the bat came in 2020 when he bashed 670 runs in 14 innings for the Punjab Kings at a strike rate of 129.34, thanks to five fifties and one century.

On the other hand, Virat Kohli is the leader of the record with nine seasons of more than 500 runs. His first record came in 2011, when he scored 557 runs for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

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In 2016, he finished with 973 runs in 16 innings of the league at an average of 81.08 and a strike rate of 152.03, scoring seven half-centuries and four centuries at the best score of 113.

Why this record matters more than any single innings —The stat that proves KL Rahul’s consistency

This record matters a lot for Rahul as he has shown his consistency with the bat at the top order. He has gone over the 520-run mark in all of the last three seasons. It’s stunning how in just two editions, the veteran has clubbed more than 1000 runs for the Delhi side. And this strike rate of 171.93 in 2026 is his best of any season in the history of the event.

He is the only batter to score more than 1000 runs for three different franchises, having earned the feat for Delhi, Punjab, and Lucknow. It’s a tremendous record to have for any individual.

How KL Rahul quietly became IPL’s most underrated 500-run machine  

Rahul didn’t make a strong start to his IPL career, with just 20 runs coming off his five games in his maiden season of 2013 for the RCB side. He made his move to the Sunrisers Hyderabad and gathered only 308 runs in 20 innings across the two editions of 2014 and 2015.

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On his return to RCB, he nearly got 400 runs in an IPL season during 2016. He wasn’t part of the league in 2017 before featuring for the Punjab side and clubbed 659 runs at a strike rate of around 160.

Whenever one talks about the league, the discussion remains around Rohit Sharma, Jos Buttler, or Kohli, but under everyone’s shadow, Rahul has become the most underrated, consistent 500-run machine of the event.