Virat Kohli reaches another milestone in 1st ODI against West Indies

India star batter Virat Kohli etched his name into the record books once again, becoming the fastest batter to reach 15,000 runs in men’s ODI cricket during the first ODI against the West Indies at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kohli came into the match needing 59 runs to reach the landmark and achieved it in emphatic fashion, getting there in just 46 balls. He became only the second batter in men’s ODI history to surpass 15,000 runs, joining legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar in the elite club.

The milestone came in Kohli’s 303rd ODI innings – 74 innings quicker than Tendulkar, who reached the mark in his 377th innings in 2007. The achievement adds to Kohli’s long list of ODI records. In 2023, he became the fastest batter to 13,000 ODI runs, reaching the mark in 267 innings and surpassing Tendulkar’s previous record of 321 innings.

Kohli walked out to bat with 14,941 ODI runs as India began its chase strongly. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill put on a solid opening partnership, although both survived chances before Rohit was dismissed by Alzarri Joseph for 32, leaving India at 74/1 after 12 overs.

Kohli wasted little time finding his rhythm. He immediately took on the West Indies attack, particularly targeting Alzarri, and used the pace of the pitch to keep the chase moving. With Gill already settled at the other end, Kohli was able to play an aggressive role from the outset.

He brought up his half-century from 40 balls and needed just nine more runs to reach 15,000. Two consecutive boundaries took him from 50 to 59, completing the historic milestone.

Kohli then raised both hands towards the stands in a gesture of respect for his idol, Sachin Tendulkar, before acknowledging a standing ovation from the Thiruvananthapuram crowd.

The next major ODI record within Kohli’s reach is Tendulkar’s tally of 6,976 runs scored in home ODIs.