- He has the most ODI centuries, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record.
- He is the all-time leading run-scorer in Indian Premier League history.
- Led India to the U-19 World Cup victory in 2008.
As Virat Kohli turns 38 today, the cricketing world pauses to celebrate the legend. Over the years, he has given millions of reasons to celebrate. From leading the team to nail-biting wins to Test dominance during his captaincy, he has defined an entire era of cricket.
Across nearly two decades of iconic international cricket, Virat’s unmatchable hunger for runs and leadership has made him the ultimate stalwart of Indian Cricket.
Virat came to the spotlight in 2008 after leading the Indian Under-19 team to a historic win at the World Cup in Malaysia. Soon after, he made his international debut in an ODI against Sri Lanka. His determination, animated aggression, and knack for chasing down any targets quickly established him as a rising star.
As the “King” eyes the 2027 50-Over World Cup and breaks a lot of records, here is a look at some of 38 unique records, numbers, and statistics of the man celebrating his 38th birthday.
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ODI Records (One Day Internationals)
1. Most ODI Centuries (55 Tons): Virat holds the all-time world record for the most hundreds in ODI history, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record. He scored his 50th ODI century, scoring 117 off 113 balls against New Zealand during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Semi-Final at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
2. Fastest To Milestone ODI Runs: Fastest player to reach the milestone from 8,000 to 13,000 runs. He completed his 13,000 ODI runs in 267 innings against Pakistan during the 2023 Asia Cup Super Four Match in Colombo, breaking Sachin’s record of 321 innings.
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3. Most Centuries in Successful Chases: While chasing, he scored the highest number of ODI hundreds. He scored 133 off 86 balls against Sri Lanka in Hobart in the 2012 CB series, chasing 321 in 36.4 overs.
4. Most Runs In A Single World Cup Edition: In the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, he scored 765 runs, breaking Sachin’s 2003 record.
5. Most 50+ scores in a single edition: Virat Kohli smashed 9 fifty-plus scores across the 11 innings during the ODI World Cup 2023, which is the highest by any batter in a single edition of the tournament.
6. Fastest ODI Century For India: On October 16, 2013, he scored 100 off 52 balls against Australia in Jaipur, helping India chase down 360 with ease.
7. Most ODI Player of the Year Awards: He won the ICC ODI Player of the Year record four times, in 2012, 2017, 2018, and 2023 calendar years.
8. Most Runs at Number 3: First batter in ODI history to cross 13,000 runs while batting specifically at the crucial one-down position.
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Test Cricket Records
1. Most Double Centuries as Indian Captain: He hit seven double centuries as Indian Test Skipper. He scored his milestone 7th double century (254*) against South Africa in October 2019, breaking Sachin and Sehwag’s record of 6 each.
2. First Asian Captain To Win Test Series In Australia: He led India to a notable 2-1 victory down under in the 2018–19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The historic win was sealed at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
3. Most Wins as India's Test Captain: He captained in 68 Tests, winning 40 matches. Major wins include Lord’s, Centurion, The Gabba, and Melbourne.
4. Double Centuries in Consecutive Series: First batter in cricket history to score double tons in four consecutive series against West Indies (North Sound, 2016), New Zealand (Indore, 2016), England (Mumbai, 2016), and Bangladesh (Hyderabad, 2017).
5. Highest ICC Test Rating Points by an Indian: In 2018, Kohli achieved a peak rating of 937 points in the official ICC Test batting rankings, the highest ever recorded by an Indian batter.
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T20I And ICC Records
1. Most Player of the Tournament Awards In ICC Events: He won three “Player of the Tournament” titles, including the 2014 T20 World Cup (Bangladesh), 2016 T20 World Cup (India), and 2023 ODI World Cup (India).
2. Most Fifties in T20 World Cup History: Holds the record for scoring the maximum number of half-centuries in the T20 tournament from 2012 to 2024, scoring a total of 1,292 total runs.
3. Simultaneous 50+ Averages Across All Formats: During his peak years from 2017 to 2019, he batted with an average above 50 across all formats: Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
4. Most Runs in a Decade: First player to cross 20,000 international runs within a single decade from 20111 to 2020, totalling over 20,500 runs across all formats during that span.
Also Read: WATCH: Virat Kohli Gets Standing Ovation In Auckland During 1st ODI vs New Zealand
Indian Premier League Records
1. All-Time Leading Run-Scorer: He is the highest run-scorer in IPL history, scoring 9336 runs in the 19 editions of the cash-rich league.
2. Most IPL Centuries (9 Tons): Holds the record for the most individual hundreds in the league, scoring his 9th IPL century while playing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
3. Most Centuries in a Single IPL Season: He has scored 4 centuries in the 2016 IPL season, scoring against Gujarat Lions twice, Rising Pune Supergiant, and Kings XI Punjab.
4. Highest Runs in a Single IPL Season: He scored 973 runs in the 2016 IPL season, smashing 4 tons and 7 half-centuries in 16 matches.
5. Remaining With A Single Franchise: The only player to remain with only one team in IPL history from the inaugural edition of the tournament till 2026.
6. Most Matches for a Single Franchise: He has the record for playing the highest number of games for one side in league history. He played 283 matches for the Bengaluru-based franchise.
7. Most Fifties in IPL History: Virat Kohli has scored 68 half-centuries in the 19 editions of the Indian Premier League.
8. First Player to 8,000 IPL Runs: He reached the milestone during the IPL match against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur in the 2024 season.
9. Most 600+ Run Seasons: Scored over 600 runs across four consecutive seasons from 2023 to 2026.
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Domestic & Under-19 Records
1. U-19 World Cup Winning Captain: He led the Indian team against South Africa to victory in Malaysia in 2008.
2. First-Class Records: Maintained a domestic red-ball record with 37 hundreds and a strong average across 156 matches for Delhi.
3. Ranji Trophy Resilience: He returned to play domestic Ranji Trophy cricket for Delhi shortly after his father's passing in 2006 to save a match, showcasing his resilience and grit.
4. 534 Runs: He scored in his first full-fledged Vijay Hazare Trophy season for Delhi in 2008-09, across seven innings at an average of 89.00, with four centuries. He was the highest run-scorer that season.
Unique Milestones
1. No. 1 Ranking Across All Formats Simultaneously: Became the only Indian captain to retain the No. 1 ICC ranking in Tests, ODIs, and overall batting at the same time during August 2018.
2. Most ICC Awards: Over his career, he has won 10 major ICC awards, making him the most decorated player in international cricket history.
3. Fastest to 10,000 ODI Runs by Innings: During October 2018, he reached the landmark in just 205 innings against West Indies in Visakhapatnam.
4. Most International Tons Against Multiple Teams in ODIs: Virat Kohli is the only batter in One Day International history to score 10 ODI centuries against two different opponents, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
5. Consecutive Sir Garfield Sobers Trophies: Won the ICC Cricketer of the Year award in consecutive years in 2017 and 2018.
6. Most Player of the Series Awards in T20Is: He has earned 7 'Player of the Series' honors in the shortest international format during his peak years.
7. Most Test centuries in Australia by an Indian: He hit seven Test centuries on Australian soil, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's previous record for most hundreds by an Indian batter Down Under.
8. Most Overseas Test Wins as Indian Captain: Achieved this feat in SENA nations (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia), including a famous win at Lord’s (2021) and Centurion (2021).
9. Second-Most International Centuries Overall: Stands firmly behind only Sachin Tendulkar on the all-time list of international centuries across all formats (Tests, ODIs, and T20Is combined with 86+ hundreds).
Also Read: Virat Kohli Hits 50th Away ODI Fifty-Plus Score, Becomes First Batter To Achieve Historic Feat