Virat Kohli has dominated the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well as international cricket ever since making his debut in 2008 (both IPL and for India). However, 2023 has been Shubman Gill's year so far, and it looks like the changing of guards is slowly taking place.
Kohli was once again on song for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) this season, scoring two centuries and scoring over 600 runs. However, he couldn't help his team reach the playoffs as the wait for a maiden IPL title continues.
Gill, on the other hand, was coming into the IPL after an exquisite few months with the Indian cricket team, scoring centuries in all formats for India. His purple patch has continued as he has been one of the protagonists of Gujarat Titans' (GT) successful campaign. He'll once again be in the spotlight when GT play the final against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Not just that, but Gill is set to finish the season as the Orange Cap winner as he has 851 runs in 16 innings, 121 runs more than the next highest run-getter, RCB's Faf du Plessis. With just one game to go, he has Kohli's record in sights.
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Can Shubman Gill break Virat Kohli's IPL record for most runs in a single season?
Kohli was in Super Saiyan mode in IPL 2016 as he scored a mammoth 973 runs in 16 innings, scoring four centuries and helping RCB to a runners-up finish.
No player has ever touched the 900-run mark. Rajasthan Royals' (RR) Jos Buttler came close last season when he scored 863 runs. David Warner is the only other player to score over 800 runs in a single season.
Gill has scored three centuries in the last fortnight or so and has been a force of nature especially in the second half of the season.
He is 122 runs away from equalling Kohli's record of 973 runs and he could very well go on to break it, although Gill breaching the 1000-run milestone seems improbable considering the occasion - an IPL final against the four-time champions.
Whether he scores 123 runs or more against CSK remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure. And that is that Gill is among the very few players who can eclipse Kohli's record. He's just 23 (!) and he hasn't even entered his peak. Heck, he might even become the first-ever player to score 1000 runs in a single season. Only time can tell if that will happen.
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Comparing Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli's best IPL seasons
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | S.R. | 50s | 100s | Best | 6s |
| Virat Kohli (2016) | 16 | 973 | 81.08 | 152.03 | 7 | 4 | 113 | 38 |
| Shubman Gill (2023) | 16 | 851 | 60.78 | 156.74 | 4 | 3 | 129 | 33 |