Virat Kohli delivered a dominant display as India began their three-match ODI series against the West Indies with a convincing eight-wicket victory in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Chasing a target of 296, India finished on 300 for 2 in only 41.4 overs, with Kohli unbeaten on 139 from 88 deliveries.
Kohli's innings combined patience, precise strokeplay and controlled aggression as he took charge of the chase. After Rohit Sharma provided India with a quick 32, Kohli joined Shubman Gill at the crease and settled into the pursuit. The duo initially played cautiously before gradually putting the West Indies bowlers under sustained pressure.
KOHLI, GILL PUT INDIA IN COMMAND
Kohli and Gill added 151 runs for the second wicket to set up India's comfortable chase. Gill played the more attacking role at times, making 110 from 108 balls, while Kohli kept the scoreboard moving and capitalised on loose deliveries.
Kohli reached his fifty from 40 balls and steadily raised the scoring rate as his innings developed. Once he found his rhythm, he began finding the boundaries regularly, showcasing the wide range of strokes that have made him one of India's most reliable ODI batters.
He remained unbeaten at the end of the innings after hitting 10 fours and nine sixes. His strike rate crossed 157, as he provided the finishing flourish to India's commanding chase. Ruturaj Gaikwad remained unbeaten with him as India comfortably completed the target.
Earlier, Justin Greaves' century and John Campbell's 62 helped West Indies post 295 for 7. Kuldeep Yadav played a crucial role with the ball, claiming four wickets for 40 runs and restricting the visitors from adding significantly more to their total.
During his remarkable innings, Kohli also overtook milestones associated with Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar while adding several other records to his name.
RECORDS KOHLI SET IN THE 1ST ODI AGAINST WEST INDIES
13 - Kohli matched the record for the most international centuries against the West Indies. Sunil Gavaskar had scored 13 hundreds in 38 matches, while Kohli reached the same figure in his 74th match against them.
10 - Kohli equalled his own record for the most ODI centuries against a single opponent. He now has 10 ODI hundreds against both the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
15,000 - Kohli became only the second batter to reach 15,000 ODI runs and achieved the milestone faster than anyone else. He got there in 303 innings, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's previous mark of 377 innings.
74 - Kohli recorded the third-fastest ODI century of his career. His quickest hundred came from 52 balls against Australia in Jaipur in 2013, followed by a 61-ball century against the same team in Nagpur later that year.
7,006 - Kohli became the leading run-scorer in ODIs in his home country. He has now scored 7,006 runs in 131 matches in India at an average of 63.69, moving past Sachin Tendulkar's tally of 6,976 runs on Indian soil.
60 - Kohli drew level with Tendulkar's record for the most List A centuries. He now has 60 hundreds from 351 matches. England's Graham Gooch is third on the list with 44 centuries, followed by Kumar Sangakkara with 39.
200 - Kohli also completed 200 sixes in ODI cricket.
9 - He hit a career-best nine sixes in an ODI innings. His previous highest was eight sixes, which he struck against Sri Lanka in Thiruvananthapuram in 2023.
25 - Kohli registered his 25th century in a successful ODI chase. He further extended his lead over second-placed Sachin Tendulkar, who has 14 centuries in successful run chases.
