India began the ODI series in Thiruvananthapuram with a win over West Indies, powered by Virat Kohli’s 139. The 37-year-old’s knock also brought up his 55th ODI century, underlining his continued fitness and form.
Kohli has now become only the second batter in ODI history to cross 15,000 runs. He has 15,080 runs from 315 matches, while Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with 18,426 runs from 463 matches.
The milestone also highlighted Kohli’s pace: he reached 15,000 ODI runs in 303 innings, faster than Tendulkar who needed 377. In ODI centuries, Kohli remains ahead with 55, followed by Tendulkar on 49.
The bigger chase, however, is Tendulkar’s landmark of 100 international centuries. Tendulkar finished with 100 (51 in Tests, 49 in ODIs), while Kohli currently has 86 (30 Tests, 55 ODIs, 1 T20I), leaving him 15 short.
With Kohli retired from Tests and T20Is, his opportunities will come only in ODIs, including upcoming series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, the Asia Cup, and potentially the 2027 50-over World Cup. Kohli has said he is not focused on records, stressing that winning the World Cup—possibly his last—matters most, and that he hopes to deliver in the final, ideally in a chase.
