Kohli put on a show in the series opener against the West Indies.
| Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN
Virat Kohli could chase down even a wild goose.
Cricket’s greatest chaser was at it again, on Sunday night. And he was spectacular, again.
He was even more spectacular than usual, actually.
He reached his fifty with a six. He reached his hundred with a six. He took India home with a six.
He hit nine sixes in all in that 88-ball, unbeaten 139. There were 10 fours as well.
And yes, Kohli reached a major milestone, too. He became the first batter after Sachin Tendulkar to make 15,000 ODI runs.
It was the 55th ODI hundred for Kohli. It has to be one of his best.
Kohli celebrates his 55th ODI hundred.
| Photo Credit:
NIRMAL HARINDRAN
The target wasn’t big by modern standards, the bowling wasn’t threatening, the track wasn’t treacherous. Given the freedom and the supreme self-confidence he batted with, the result would have been the same regardless of the conditions.
When Kohli is in that kind of touch, there is nothing he cannot do. Remember that extraordinary six he scored off Haris Rauf in India’s T20 World Cup match against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 2022?
And he played that shot, over the fast bowler’s head, when India was under pressure, chasing. It is remarkable how he has turned chasing into fine art.
His numbers in ODIs, overall, are just as remarkable. His 15,080 runs have come at an average of 59.13 and a strike-rate of 94.30. Apart from 55 centuries, he has hit 79 fifties.
The numbers, of course, don’t tell the entire story. They don’t speak of his fierce determination, which gives an insight into his batting while chasing. They don’t speak of his drive; no, not those exquisite ones he plays through the covers. It is difficult to imagine a more driven athlete, in any sport.
The constant desire to become even better than he already is, along with the devotion to fitness, ensures he remains the perfection of ODI batting. He has of late been batting with more aggression. He is keener to dominate from the start.
After powering India to victory with 50 balls to spare, Kohli spoke of how he has been working to unlock a new version of himself, to up the ante, and how it has helped him play with a free mind. He is truly in a league of his own.
It is not difficult to understand why a cricketer of A.B. de Villiers’ outrageous talent called Kohli ODI cricket’s greatest batter.
Published – September 28, 2026 07:46 pm IST
