Virat Kohli on Saturday (December 6) became the first cricketer in the world to win 20 Player of the Series (POTS) awards in men’s international cricket. By clinching the prize for the three-ODI series between India and South Africa, he broke the record of 19 held by his idol and Indian legend, Sachin Tendulkar.
Bangladesh’s Shakib al Hasan (17), South Africa’s Jacques Kallis (14), Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya (13) and Australia’s David Warner (13) are the next in the list. This was Kohli’s 11th POTS award in ODIs, which is tied for second-best with Jayasuriya, and only behind Tendulkar’s 14.
Kohli was in simply sublime form throughout the series. There were concerns about whether playing only one format would adversely affect his ODI numbers.
But in contrast, he looked rejuvenated, batting almost flawlessly, in complete control. He scored 302 runs in the series, with centuries worth 135 and 102 runs in the first two ODIs, followed by an unbeaten 65 in the decider in Vizag to contribute to India’s nine-wicket win.
“Honestly, just playing the way I have in this series has been the most satisfying thing for me,” he said after the match. “I don’t think I have played at this level for a good 2-3 years now and I feel really free in my mind. Just the whole game is coming together nicely. Very exciting to build on. And something that I have always tried to do as a player, kind of maintain my own standards that I have set for myself and play at the level that I can make an impact for the team.”
Asked to pick his best knock of the series, Kohli chose the first.
“… because I hadn’t played a game since Australia. Just to come out and you know when you start hitting the ball well. And also, just how your energy is on the day. You just feel so confident of taking risks. And when they come off, of course, it unlocks, as I said, that zone as a batsman which you are craving for. So, Ranchi was very special for me because it just opened me up in a way that I haven’t felt for a while. I am just grateful for how these three games have gone,” he added.
Kohli is set to participate in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s premier domestic List-A competition.
