In the upcoming match against New Zealand, Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli will achieve a significant milestone, playing his 300th One Day International (ODI). He will be only the seventh Indian cricketer to reach this mark. This league stage match at the ICC Champions Trophy, although India has already secured a spot in the semifinals, provides an ideal platform for Kohli to express his dynamic batting style. Following his century against Pakistan in a successful chase, this game is a perfect opportunity for him to build momentum heading into the knockout stage.
Since his ODI debut on August 18, 2008, Virat has amassed numerous records in the 50-over format. Despite his achievements in Test and T20 cricket, many consider ODIs to be his forte. Over the years, Kohli, now 36, has not only broken numerous records but has also mastered the art of chasing targets, making everything he achieves from this point onwards an added bonus to his already illustrious career.
Across 299 ODIs, Virat has accumulated 14,085 runs, boasting an impressive average of 58.20 and a strike rate of 93.41. His tally includes 51 centuries and 73 half-centuries, with a personal best score of 193. He currently ranks as the third-highest run-scorer in ODI history, trailing only Kumar Sangakkara (14,234 runs in 404 matches, 25 centuries) and Sachin Tendulkar (18,426 runs in 463 matches). Within India, he is the second-highest run-getter.
Kohli also holds the record for the most centuries in ODIs, with 51, surpassing his idol Sachin Tendulkar during the 2023 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand.
Among batsmen with over 100 ODI innings, Virat boasts the highest batting average. Overall, he stands third in average, only surpassed by Netherlands’ Ryan Ten Doeschate (1,541 runs in 32 innings, average 67.00) and rising Indian star Shubman Gill (2,734 runs in 52 innings, average 62.13).
Virat has consistently reached career milestones at an unprecedented pace, becoming the fastest to reach 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, 13,000, and 14,000 ODI runs.
The title ‘Chase Master’ is genuinely earned by Virat, reflecting his exceptional ability to orchestrate and execute run-chases with remarkable precision.
In successful run-chases, Virat has scored 5,913 runs in 105 matches, with an astonishing average of 89.59 and a strike rate of 96.74. This includes 24 centuries and 25 half-centuries in 99 innings, with a top score of 183 against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup. He leads in both runs and centuries scored in winning chases.
Virat also holds the record for the most ODI centuries against a single team, with 10 centuries in 56 innings against Sri Lanka.
Regardless of his form in bilateral series, Virat transforms into a dominant force in major tournaments. He is the second-highest run-scorer in Cricket World Cup history with 1,795 runs at an average of 59.83, including five centuries and 12 fifties, just behind Sachin Tendulkar (2,278 runs in 45 matches, average 56.95).
In the 2023 World Cup alone, he set a record for most runs in a single edition, scoring a phenomenal 765 runs at an average of 95.62, with three centuries and six fifties, earning him the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.
In the Champions Trophy, Virat is the eighth-highest run-getter with 651 runs in 14 innings, averaging 93.00.
He also ranks third for India in ICC ODI knockout matches, with 446 runs at an average of 44.60.
Combining successful run chases in World Cups and Champions Trophies, Virat has scored 1,134 runs in 23 innings at an average of 94.50. In knockout chases, his average exceeds 106.
Virat also holds the record for most runs in an ODI bilateral series, scoring 558 runs against South Africa in 2018.
His extraordinary contributions to ODIs have been recognized with ICC ODI Player of the Decade 2011-20 and ODI Cricketer of the Year awards in 2012, 2017, 2018, and 2023, the most by any player.
As captain, Virat led India in 95 ODIs, securing 65 wins and achieving a semifinal finish in the 2019 World Cup and a runners-up position in the 2017 Champions Trophy, demonstrating his solid leadership in the format.
