Kohli eyes another milestone after his return to form

Virat Kohli is poised to play his 300th One Day International (ODI) on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in his illustrious career. This achievement comes after the Indian batting great silenced doubts surrounding his form and future with a match-winning century in the Champions Trophy.

India faces New Zealand in their final group-stage match in Dubai, with both teams already having secured their spots in the semi-finals of the 50-over tournament.

Kohli, affectionately known as “King Kohli” for his prolific run-scoring, has been in the spotlight following an extended lean patch that fueled speculation about his future in the game.

There were even whispers that he and skipper Rohit Sharma, who have both already retired from T20 Internationals, might soon step down from ODIs as well.

However, Kohli silenced critics with a brilliant, unbeaten 100 in India’s crucial win over arch-rivals Pakistan, taking them to the brink of the semi-finals, which were confirmed after New Zealand’s victory.

At 36, Kohli rolled back the years, marking his first ODI century since November 2023, and proving that he still has plenty left in the tank.

Teammate KL Rahul expressed his admiration for Kohli’s consistency and class. “That (300) is a lot of ODI games, and a lot of international games, and he’s been… I mean words fall short to express how good a player he’s been and what a great servant of Indian cricket he’s been,” Rahul said in Dubai on Friday.

“Really happy to see that he got the 100 last game as well, and he’s been batting really well. For a player of his calibre, it was about time he scored that big, match-winning century.”

Rahul added, “Virat and Rohit, they are the senior players, and you are always looking up to them to step up and score when the big games come. Hopefully, there are many more hundreds left for him (Kohli) and many more games of international cricket.”

Kohli’s recent performance against Pakistan also saw him cross the 14,000-run mark in ODIs, becoming only the third batsman in history to achieve this feat, following in the footsteps of legends Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.

This century against Pakistan was Kohli’s 51st ODI ton in 299 matches since his debut in 2008, and it added to his tally of 82 international hundreds across all formats.

Kohli now joins an elite group of cricketers, becoming the 22nd player in history, and the seventh Indian to reach 300 ODIs. Tendulkar holds the record for most ODIs played, with 463 matches.

New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell, who has shared a dressing room with Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, praised Kohli’s incredible longevity in the game.

“I think that’s obviously a massive achievement,” said Bracewell. “Three hundred games across a career is very impressive, and then to put that in just one format is amazing. I think it’s a testament to the way he’s gone about his career.”

Bracewell added, “I saw it firsthand at RCB how he prepared for each match, and it’s very impressive. He’s one of a number of class players in the Indian line-up, and they’ve all played a lot of cricket now.”

Kohli’s journey has not been without its challenges. He was part of the Indian team that won the 2011 ODI World Cup under M.S. Dhoni and later took over as captain. Kohli also played a pivotal role in guiding India to the top of the ICC Test rankings.

However, despite his leadership and individual successes, Kohli was unable to deliver a global title for India, which saw him relinquish the ODI and T20I captaincy.

During his struggles with form, Kohli spoke openly about his mental health challenges, including how he had become “snappy” around his wife, Anushka Sharma, and the pressure of living up to the expectations.

However, Kohli’s resilience and commitment to the game have made him a hero to millions of Indian fans, with supporters regularly invading the pitch to touch his feet and take selfies during matches.