Virat Kohli Scores Record-Breaking Century As India Beats West Indies

Virat Kohli scored his 55th ODI century off just 74 balls against the West Indies in the series opener in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. India chased down the target of 296 with eight wickets in hand and 42 balls to spare, led by Kohli and captain Shubman Gill.

Record-Breaking Innings

During his unbeaten knock, Kohli reached the major milestone of 15,000 runs in ODI cricket, becoming only the second man after Sachin Tendulkar to achieve this feat. Kohli reached the mark in 303 innings, eclipsing Tendulkar's record of 377 innings by 75 innings. This century marked his 60th in all List A cricket across 338 innings and tied him with Tendulkar for the most centuries in the 50-over format. Kohli also surpassed Tendulkar's total of 6,976 runs to become the first batter to complete 7,000 ODI runs at home, while notching his 42nd international century in India.

Match Stats

Kohli recorded his 30th ODI century while batting second, putting him 12 ahead of Rohit Sharma, with 25 of these hundreds coming in winning chases. He slammed his 10th ODI century against the West Indies, matching his own record for the most centuries against a single opponent in the format. During the innings, Kohli hit nine sixes, beating his previous best of eight against Sri Lanka at the same venue in 2023, while his career strike rate crossed 94 for the first time.

Context

Milestones in international cricket often highlight long-standing rivalries and individual battles for statistical supremacy between top players. Records set by senior batters like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli take years of sustained performance across home and away conditions to build. Such achievements capture widespread public attention because limited-overs cricket remains one of the most followed sports formats in the country.