One of the finest Indian batters of this generation, Virat Kohli turned 36 on Tuesday, November 5. Making his international debut in 2008, Kohli has attained numerous achievements and records during his illustrious career.
For starters, Kohli holds the record for winning the most (21) Player of the Series award across all formats. Let’s start with how Kohli has fared in the 50-over format.
ODIs
It was the 2011 ODI World Cup, where Kohli grabbed his chances and shone brightly. In his first-ever appearance in the World Cups, he slammed a century against Bangladesh. The right-hander scored a crucial 35 in the final against Sri Lanka, which eventually helped India to win the title.
In 2012, Kohli played his finest ODI knock against Sri Lanka in the Commonwealth Bank series. He slammed 133* off 86 and tormented Lasith Malinga to the hilt. His knock helped the Indian side to chase down a 321-run target in less than 37 overs.
Then, the charismatic batter held an average of 58.66 to help the Men in Blue lift the 2013 Champions Trophy. He has been the most consistent batter for India in the ODI World Cups, and paved the way for India’s entry into the semi-finals of 2015, 2019 and 2023 editions.
He has amassed a total of 1,795 runs in the showpiece event at an average of 60, and is just behind Sachin Tendulkar (2,278). The 2023 World Cup saw him score 765 runs, which is the most by any player in a single edition.
Virat Kohli is the consensus GOAT in the ODIs, with 13,906 runs in 295 games at an average of 58.18, with 50 centuries. He has been the fastest batter to reach the marks of 8,000, 9000, 10,000, 11,000, 12,000 and 13,000 runs.
Under Kohli’s leadership, India secured victories in 65 out of 95 games, with a success rate of 68.42%. He led the side as they emerged as runner-ups in 2017 Champions Trophy and semi-finalists in the 2019 ODI World Cup.
T20Is
Virat Kohli ended his T20I career as the second-highest scorer with 4,188 runs in 125 games at an average of 48.69. His final innings saw him slam a match-winning 76 in the final against South Africa, as India lifted the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Kohli holds the record for scoring most runs in T20 World Cup history, with 1,292 runs at an average of 58.72. He slammed the most runs in the 2014 and 2022 editions. The 36-year-old arguably played his greatest T20 knock against Pakistan in the 2022 edition, slamming a match-winning 82* off 53 in MCG.
Kohli led India in 50 T20Is and tasted victory in 30 of them.
Tests
Virat Kohli has amassed 9,040 runs in 118 Tests at an average of around 48, with a top knock of 254* and 29 centuries. He is responsible for India’s dominance in the red-ball format in the latter part of the last decade. This is due to his attacking mindset and never-give-up attitude.
Under his leadership, India remained at the top of the Test rankings for five consecutive years (2016-21). They also emerged as runner-ups in the 2019-21 WTC cycle. In a total of 68 games, India won 40 games under his captaincy.
