Virat Kohli set a new benchmark for Indian players in ODIs against West Indies when he walked out for the first ODI at Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, 2026. The 37-year-old featured in his 44th ODI against the Caribbean side, going past Mohammad Azharuddin's tally of 43 such appearances, a record that had remained untouched for 28 years.
The milestone placed Kohli ahead of several celebrated names in Indian cricket history. Kapil Dev had appeared in 42 ODIs against
West Indies, Rahul Dravid in 40 and MS Dhoni in 39, leaving Kohli as the outright leader among all Indian players in terms of appearances against this opponent.
India's playing XI for the match comprised Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill as captain, Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul as wicketkeeper, Naman Dhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna. Kohli's previous ODI outing had come in the third match of the England series on July 19, 2026, making this his first appearance in the format in over two months.
Most ODIs for India against the West Indies
|
PLAYER |
TIME SPAN |
MATCHES |
RUNS |
BEST SCORE |
100 |
WICKETS |
BEST FIGURES |
5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Virat Kohli |
2009-2026 |
44* |
2261 |
157* |
9 |
0 |
– |
0 |
|
Mohammad Azharuddin |
1985-1998 |
43 |
998 |
81 |
0 |
2 |
2/41 |
0 |
|
Kapil Dev |
1979-1994 |
42 |
842 |
87 |
0 |
43 |
4/54 |
0 |
|
Rahul Dravid |
1997-2009 |
40 |
1348 |
109* |
3 |
0 |
– |
0 |
|
MS Dhoni |
2005-2019 |
39 |
1005 |
95 |
0 |
1 |
1/14 |
0 |
|
Sachin Tendulkar |
1991-2011 |
39 |
1573 |
141* |
4 |
20 |
4/34 |
0 |
Where does Kohli stand in the all-time India vs West Indies ODI appearances list?
The record for most appearances in ODIs contested between India and West Indies belongs to West Indian batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who featured in 46 such matches across a career spanning 1994 to 2009. With 44 appearances to his name, Kohli has now moved closer to that all-time mark than any Indian player has managed before.
Should Kohli take the field in all three matches of the ongoing series, he would finish level with Chanderpaul on 46 appearances, making him the joint-highest appearance-maker in this bilateral contest across both nations combined.
Most appearances in India vs West Indies ODIs
|
PLAYER |
COUNTRY |
TIME SPAN |
MATCHES |
RUNS |
WICKETS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shivnarine Chanderpaul |
West Indies |
1994-2009 |
46 |
1319 |
4 |
|
Carl Hooper |
West Indies |
1987-2002 |
45 |
1279 |
36 |
|
Marlon Samuels |
West Indies |
2001-2018 |
44 |
1206 |
17 |
|
Virat Kohli |
India |
2009-2026 |
44* |
2261* |
0 |
|
Mohammad Azharuddin |
India |
1985-1998 |
43 |
998 |
0 |
|
Kapil Dev |
India |
1979-1994 |
42 |
842 |
43 |
|
Brian Lara |
West Indies |
1991-2007 |
42 |
1142 |
– |
|
Chris Gayle |
West Indies |
1999-2019 |
41 |
1334 |
23 |
|
Rahul Dravid |
India |
1997-2009 |
40 |
1348 |
0 |
What are Kohli's key milestones against West Indies and in ODIs overall?
Against West Indies in ODIs, Kohli has accumulated 2,261 runs, including nine centuries. A hundred in the first ODI would make him the first batter in history to reach ten ODI centuries against West Indies, a landmark no player from either side has achieved.
Also Read: 'Saw my name, couldn't process it' - Naman Dhir on his India debut
Kohli is also closing in on a significant career milestone in the format overall. He has scored 14,941 ODI runs and requires just 59 more to reach 15,000. Only Sachin Tendulkar has crossed that threshold in ODI cricket, and Kohli remains the sole active player with a realistic path to joining that exclusive group. The ongoing series against West Indies offers him multiple opportunities to complete the landmark on home soil.
