GUWAHATI: With the buzz around his ODI retirement growing, Virat Kohli delivered a memorable performance on Sunday, September 27, scoring a century against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram.
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Kohli also completed 15,000 ODI runs during his innings, reaching the landmark in his 303rd innings — 74 innings quicker than Indian cricket legend and his idol Sachin Tendulkar.
Kohli entered the chase with 14,941 ODI runs and needed 59 runs to reach the milestone. He got there in just 46 balls, raising both hands towards Tendulkar in a gesture of respect before acknowledging a standing ovation from the Thiruvananthapuram crowd.
Kohli's innings came after Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill provided India with a strong start. Rohit was eventually dismissed for 32, leaving India at 74/1 after 12 overs, before Kohli took charge alongside Gill.
The milestone did little to slow Kohli down as he attacked from the outset, taking on Alzarri Joseph and making use of the pace on offer. He brought up his half-century in 40 balls before reaching 15,000 ODI runs with back-to-back boundaries.
Kohli has already confirmed that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his final 50-over World Cup for India, adding to the ongoing focus on his ODI future.
"For me, it's the last World Cup I'm going to play for India. And that is my motivation. And of course, the goal is absolutely to win the World Cup. And whatever it takes, I'm absolutely ready," Kohli said in an interview.
On a day when the spotlight was firmly on his ODI future, Kohli responded with a century and another landmark record, adding yet another memorable chapter to his ODI career.
