Virat Kohli’s white-ball supremacy continues as he climbs Mount 15K

Indian batter Virat Kohli not only scored his 55th century in ODIs against the West Indies on Sunday, but he also reached another landmark. The former India captain became the second-highest scorer in ODIs after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, having crossed the 15,000-run mark.

Kohli has been the standout batter in the world when it comes to ODI cricket. He has been one of the best of his generation, and even at 37 he continues to perform at the highest level and deliver in the most clutch moments.

Here are some key numbers from his climb to Mount 15K: 

• Kohli got to 15,000 runs in 303 innings, as compared to Tendulkar’s 377.
• He faced fewer balls, reaching the milestone in 15,950 balls, while Tendulkar reached 15K in 17,528 balls.
• He has also scored more runs (7,006 runs) in India, overtaking Tendulkar’s 6,976.
• He has the joint-highest hundreds (10) against a single opponent, having scored his tenth ton against the West Indies, equalling his own record of ten centuries against Sri Lanka.

Kohli has scored hundreds for fun since he started playing international cricket, having hit 86 tons across all international formats.

The batting maestro went through a lean period between November 2019 and September 2022, enduring a century drought for 84 innings. There were talks of decline with age from former players and fans, but that’s the difference between greatness and good players: great players learn from setbacks, constantly improve, and reinvent themselves. And that is what Kohli has done beautifully.

Kohli always had a good strike rate, but with the game moving towards slam-bang hitting, he has transformed his game and stays aggressive from the very first ball. He keeps the scoreboard moving and keeps bowlers under pressure at all times. His game awareness during a chase is still top-notch, and he can guide the team home with ease, only that now he has started scoring more from boundaries than playing it safe and rotating the strike. This transformation has made him even more lethal.

Having won almost every major ICC tournament, Kohli has little left to prove. He also looks fitter and maintains the same hunger and mentality that have seen him become one of the greats of his era.

He has been relentlessly consistent in his last ten innings, scoring 139*, 74, 65, 5, 124, 23, 93, 102, 135, and 74*. His last 1,000 runs have come in quick time: taking him 16 innings with a massive average of 81.69 and an improved strike rate of 107.93, featuring five hundreds and six fifties. This shows that not only is he scoring runs freely, he has also upped the ante, scoring runs quickly and taking the stress of scoring boundaries away from his batting partner and keeping the opposition under pressure.

With the next ODI World Cup just a year away, Virat Kohli’s incredible form will be key for India, as they need their most experienced batters firing to have a chance at the title. Kohli will want to erase the pain of the 2023 World Cup final loss and, hopefully, bid adieu to international cricket on a high. It’s simply amazing to see a player have the same passion and hunger to perform he did as a youngster when he is about to leave the sport.

Virat Kohli is an absolute phenomenon in modern-day sport, and when he does announce his retirement, there will undoubtedly be plenty of teary-eyed fans. For now, though, we can continue to savour the magic of this batting maestro and create even more unforgettable memories of his incredible performances in the Indian blue.