17 Years in International Cricket: Virat Kohli Records, Stats & Legacy

Virat Kohli Records, Stats & Legacy

The cricketing legend from India, Virat Kohli, has now played international cricket for 17 years, an amazing journey which started on August 18, 2008 against Sri Lanka in an ODI. Now aged 36, Kohli has established himself as one of the all-time joys of world cricket while inspiring millions of people with his incredible work ethic, passion and consistency.

Why Virat Kohli’s 17-Year Ride Is a Big Deal

In a time when careers are short and players come and go, Kohli has been a key part of Indian cricket for almost twenty years. He’s carried India’s batting and changed how cricketers think about fitness, so he’s done more than just score runs.

Even though he’s no longer playing Tests and T20Is, Kohli is still playing ODIs, where he’s been amazing.

Also Read: From Delhi Streets to ₹1,050 Crore: The Unbelievable Rise of Virat Kohli’s Net Worth

Kohli’s ODI Greatness – Third All Time Run Scorer

• Matches: 302
• Runs: 14,181
• Average: 57.88
• Centuries: 51

Kohli now sits below only Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) on the ODI’s run list. His 51 ODI centuries has surpassed Tendulkar (49) and his history is still being rewritten.

Kohli is definitely the king of chasing runs in One Day International (ODI) cricket. He has scored 24 ODI centuries when chasing a target, which is more than anyone else. His average score in these chases is a crazy 88.20. Even the great Tendulkar only managed 14 centuries in run chases. Kohli’s amazing skill to play well when the pressure is on is why they call him Chase Master.

Centuries Against the Giants

Kohli is the only batter to score 8+ ODI centuries against three different opponents:

• 10 vs Sri Lanka
• 9 vs West Indies
• 8 vs Australia

No other cricketer has matched this feat, proving his dominance against the world’s strongest teams.

Overall International Career Numbers

• Runs: 27,599 across formats
• Average: 52.27
• International tons: 82 (Second-most after Tendulkar’s 100)
• Half-centuries: 143

He is only behind Tendulkar (34,357) and Sangakkara (28,016) in career international runs.

Kohli’s T20I Career – A World Cup Goodbye Kede

Kohli stepped away from T20Is in 2024 after leading India to victory in the T20 World Cup.

• Kohli’s T20I Runs: 4188 (Avg. 48.69, SR 137.07)
• 50+ scores: 39 (1 century)

Kohli is still one of only three men’s players to exceed 4000 runs in T20Is, with Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam.

Virat Kohli Records – A Legendary Captain

Earlier in 2025, Kohli retired from Test cricket, closing one of the most successful chapters in Indian cricket history.

• Matches: 123
• Runs: 9,230 (Avg. 46.85)
• Centuries: 30

As a captain:

• Tests led: 68
• Wins: 40 (India’s most successful Test captain)
• Runs as captain: 5,864 at 54.80

He also holds the record for seven Test double-centuries as captain, a feat unmatched in world cricket.

The 2027 World Cup Worry

Kohli, now 36, and Rohit Sharma, who’s 38, are beyond their 30s. This makes many fans curious about how long they will keep playing ODI matches. Yet, both stars say they want to be in the 2027 ODI World Cup.

India’s ODI games before the big event won’t be many, but fans really want to see a last big play from these greats of today.

From his debut in 2008 to becoming the King of Cricket, Virat Kohli’s 17-year career is a real story. His stats are impressive, but his drive, passion, and focus on fitness will be his greatest legacy.

As he keeps playing in ODIs, everyone is waiting to see if Kohli will create one last story at the 2027 World Cup. Until then, fans will enjoy every run from India’s best modern cricketer.