Virat Kohli’s return to India’s ODI setup comes with several statistical landmarks within reach. The veteran batter will be back in action on Sunday, September 27, when India begin their three match ODI series against West Indies at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
Reaching that figure in the series opener would make him only the second batter in men’s ODI history to achieve the milestone, with Sachin Tendulkar currently the only player above that mark. Kohli is already second on the all time ODI run scoring list. Another Major Landmark Against West Indies Kohli’s numbers against West Indies provide another route towards a significant record. He has also registered nine ODI centuries against West Indies. That puts another piece of history within Kohli’s reach during the three match assignment. Kohli Closing In On Tendulkar At Home The Greenfield International Stadium contest could also move Kohli closer to another Tendulkar record. There is an additional milestone beyond simply overtaking Tendulkar. Another Record Awaits Against West Indies Kohli could also strengthen his position in the list of India’s most capped ODI players against West Indies. Kohli currently shares that mark with the former India captain. The first of those milestones could arrive as early as his next innings.
Kohli therefore requires 110 more runs to move past the former India batter. The biggest milestone is only 59 runs away. Kohli has accumulated 14,941 runs in 314 ODIs, including 302 innings, leaving him 59 short of the 15,000 run mark. Tendulkar ended his ODI career with 18,426 runs from 463 matches between 1989 and 2012. Kohli’s current record also includes a batting average of 58.59, 54 centuries, 79 fifties and a highest score of 183. The former India captain has scored 2,261 runs in 43 ODIs against the Caribbean side, making him the leading run scorer in the fixture. Across all three international formats, Kohli has 3,850 runs in 73 matches and 75 innings against West Indies. A further 150 runs in the opening ODI would take him beyond 4,000 international runs against the team. Only South Africa’s Jacques Kallis has crossed the 4,000 run mark against West Indies, with 4,120 runs from 66 matches. Kohli has scored 6,867 runs in 130 ODIs played in India. Tendulkar’s record for the most ODI runs on home soil stands at 6,976 from 164 matches. If Kohli scores 133 runs in the first ODI, he would become the first player to reach 7,000 ODI runs in home matches. His home record currently includes 27 centuries and 36 fifties, while his best score in India is 166 not out. His appearance on Sunday would be his 44th ODI against the Caribbean team, taking him past Mohammad Azharuddin’s tally of 43 matches. With 59 runs enough to take him into the 15,000 run club, 110 required to overtake Tendulkar’s home ODI tally and 133 potentially enough to reach 7,000 runs in India, Kohli enters the opening ODI with several statistical landmarks in sight.
