Virat Kohli is returning to the format that has arguably defined his international career, and the West Indies are one of his favourite opponents. As India begin their three-match ODI series against the West Indies on September 27, Kohli carries a staggering record against the Caribbean side – 2,261 runs in 43 matches at an average of 66.50, including nine centuries and 11 fifties. And now, he is just a century awaya to create a unique ODI record.
Virat Kohli is one century away to create history
One of the most significant innings of Kohli’s career against West Indies came in Visakhapatnam on October 24, 2018. Kohli smashed an unbeaten 157 off 129 balls, his 37th ODI century. More importantly, the innings took him past the 10,000-run mark in ODI cricket.He reached the landmark in just 205 innings, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s previous record of 259 innings. Kohli became the 13th batter to enter the 10,000-run club but did it considerably faster than anyone before him.Kohli has already scored more ODI centuries against West Indies than any other batter, with nine hundreds to his name. That puts an intriguing milestone in front of him in the upcoming series. Kohli already has 10 ODI centuries against Sri Lanka, and another hundred against West Indies would make him the first batter in ODI history to score 10 centuries against two different teams.It would also extend a remarkable record against an opponent he has consistently dominated across both home and away conditions.
157*, 140, 114*: Kohli’s memorable knocks
Kohli’s record against West Indies is not simply built on volume. Several of his most memorable ODI performances have come against the Caribbean side.157 off 129, Visakhapatnam, 2018* – This remains Kohli’s highest ODI score against West Indies. His unbeaten 157 came with 13 fours and four sixes and also delivered the 10,000-run milestone.140 off 107, Guwahati, 2018 – In the opening ODI of the 2018 series, Kohli produced another spectacular chase. He smashed 140 off 107 balls and shared a 246-run partnership with Rohit Sharma as India chased down 323 with eight wickets in hand.114 off 99, Port of Spain, 2019* – Kohli continued his dominance in the Caribbean in 2019, scoring an unbeaten 114 in a rain-affected ODI at Port of Spain. His century helped India chase down the revised target and complete a 2-0 series win.
What makes the West Indies a special opponent for Kohli?
Virat Kohli has three Player of the Series awards against West Indies. He scored 453 runs in India’s five-match home series against them in 2018, including three centuries, before producing another prolific run in the Caribbean in 2019.Kohli’s return to ODI cricket against West Indies therefore comes with more than just another series on the calendar. Also, Virat Kohli is on the verge of making history, needing just 59 runs to reach the monumental milestone of 15,000 ODI runs. Currently standing at 14,941 runs from 314 matches (302 innings), he is set to become only the second batsman in cricket history, after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, to breach this elite threshold.The first ODI in the three-match series will be played on September 27, giving Kohli his next opportunity to add another chapter to a record that is already extraordinary.
