Contemporaries and critics may refuse to compare Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli but the latter's batting deeds cannot escape the attention of cricket statisticians.
Virat Kohli, who is leading Royal Challengers Bangalore, needs all of 67 runs to aggregate 500 runs in IPL 2016. If Kohli gets the runs, the batting star will then become the first captain in IPL to score 500-plus runs in three separate editions. Tendulkar has done this twice for Mumbai Indians'>Mumbai Indians.
Even if Royal Challengers Bangalore do not qualify for the IPL playoffs, Kohli will get at least five games to score the necessary 67 runs. Considering his good run with the bat - Kohli holds the Orange Cap for being the highest run-getter in IPL 2016 with 433 runs - breaking Tendulkar's record should be a formality.
As Mumbai Indians' captain, Tendulkar who scored over 500 runs in two editions of the IPL -- 618 in 2010 and 553 in 2011. Kohli achieved this feat too -- 634 in 2013 and 505 in 2015.
Kohli's 634 is the highest runs ever scored by a captain in IPL. He could set a new benchmark this season.
Two more IPL captains have scored over 500 runs in a season. They are Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata Knight Riders) and David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad).
Gambhir scored 590 runs in 17 matches in 2012, with a top score of 93. Warner scored 562 runs in 14 matches, with a highest of 91.
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(With inputs from HR Gopala Krishna)