IND vs NZ: Virat Kohli added another special chapter to his illustrious career on Sunday as he climbed past one of India's most iconic leaders, Sourav Ganguly, on the list of most ODI appearances for India.
When Kohli stepped onto the field against New Zealand in the first ODI in Vadodara, he officially registered his 309th ODI appearance, moving ahead of Ganguly, who had represented India 308 times in the format.
Ganguly finished his career with a total of 311 ODI caps, though three of those came for the Asia XI. The former India captain amassed 11,363 runs at an average of 41.02, with 22 centuries and 72 fifties - numbers that place him among the greatest ODI batters of all time. Kohli's overtaking of Ganguly symbolises not just longevity, but
a career built on supreme consistency across eras and bowling attacks.
At the top of the list stands Sachin Tendulkar, whose world record of 463 ODI appearances remains untouched and is unlikely to be challenged anytime soon. Kohli, however, has his eyes set on another global milestone. He is now just 42 runs short of surpassing Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket.
Sangakkara, one of Sri Lanka's modern greats, finished with a monumental tally of 28,016 runs across formats. The only man ahead of him is Tendulkar, with his staggering 34,357 runs. For Kohli to break into this elite bracket is yet another reflection of his unmatched hunger and fitness even at 37.
Kohli enters the New Zealand series in sparkling touch. Over his last eight List A innings, he has produced three centuries and three fifties, reaffirming his dominance in the 50-over format. His recent ODI series against South Africa at home showcased that form perfectly - scores of 135, 102, and an unbeaten 65 demonstrated his ability to control an innings in varied conditions.
At the time of writing this article, New Zealand were batting at 162/3 after 31 overs of play.
