As India prepare to face Australia in the upcoming ODI series, all eyes will once again be on Virat Kohli. The Indian batting maestro stands on the verge
of achieving multiple historic milestones in world cricket.
With consistency that has defined his career, Kohli is now tantalizingly close to redefining the record books in the limited-overs format. Virat will return in India colours for the first time since the Champions Trophy earlier this year.
Kohli, who has been a gladiator for India over the last decade or so, has quit from T20Is and Tests, but continues to remain active in the 50-over format. And the upcoming three-match series hands him the opportunity to rack up a few colossal milestones.
1. Second Leading Run-Getter in ODI History
Virat Kohli needs just 54 runs to surpass Kumar Sangakkara (14,234 runs) and become the second-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket history, behind only Sachin Tendulkar (18,426 runs). Kohli currently has 14,181 ODI runs at an average exceeding 57, the highest among batters with more than 10,000 runs. Reaching this milestone would further cement his reputation as one of the greatest ODI players in cricket history.
2. Leading Run-Getter in White-Ball Cricket
Kohli also needs 68 more runs to become the leading run-scorer in white-ball cricket (ODIs + T20Is). This will see him overtake Sachin Tendulkar's combined tally across limited-overs formats. Considering his phenomenal record - with over 26,000 international runs and 80+ hundreds - Kohli continues to redefine consistency and dominance in modern cricket.
Sachin Tendulkar Runs in White-Ball Cricket - 18436
Virat Kohli Runs in White-Ball Cricket - 18369
3. 23 Boundaries to reach Elite ODI Landmark
Virat Kohli can also join an extremely elite and rare list in the ODI series against Australia. With 1325 fours and 152 sixes, the India star has a combined 1477 boundaries in his ODI career. If he hits 23 more boundaries (4s + 6s), he can breach the 1500-mark, thus becoming only the third player in the history of the game to do so. Apart from Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya are the only other players who have scored 1500+ boundaries in ODIs.
If Kohli achieves these records during the series, it will add yet another chapter to his illustrious career. With his hunger for runs showing no signs of decline, the Australia ODIs could be another showcase of why he's regarded a legend of the game.
