Virat Kohli completes 15 years in International Cricket. A look back at the journey | Cricket News

Virat along with his Delhi teammate Gautam Gambhir opened the batting against Sri Lanka and could score just 12 runs. The youngster ended his first series with decent numbers, scoring 159 runs in five matches at an average of 31.80, getting his maiden fifty in the fifth ODI. While many knew Virat was destined for international success based on his talent and success in the U19s, the level of success he would go on to achieve in the years to come was simply unbelievable even to his die-hard fans.

Year after year, Kohli has presented himself as the epitome of consistency across formats, forming part of the modern ‘Fab Four’ batting quartet along with Australia’s Steve Smith, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and Joe Root from England.

Since then, Kohli has represented India in 111 Tests. After making his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies, he overcame the horror of his first tour, in which he could score just 76 runs in five innings to establish himself as one of red-ball cricket’s greatest ambassadors. He has scored 8,676 runs at an average of 49.29 in 187 innings, with 29 centuries and 29 fifties and a best score of 254*.

He is the fifth highest run-scorer in Test cricket for India and 23rd overall, chasing Indian great Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time runs (15,921 runs in 200 matches and 51 centuries). He also has the fourth highest Test centuries among Indians. Virat also has seven double hundreds, the most by an Indian player.

As a captain, Virat Kohli has created a brilliant legacy for himself in Tests. He led India in 68 Tests, winning 40, losing 17 and drawing 11. This translates into a win rate of 58.82 percent. Making India a formidable home unit, helping them to a memorable Test match/series win in England, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and the West Indies, establishing a world-class pace bowling unit consisting of Jasprit Bumrah , Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav , Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj etc., are some of the big positives of his tenure as skipper, which saw him lead India to five consecutive ICC World Test Championship matches from 2017-21.

Virat’s strongest form is ODIs. In 275 ODIs, he has scored 12,898 runs at an average of 57.32. He has scored 46 centuries and 65 half-centuries in 265 innings, with a best score of 183.

He is India’s second highest run-getter in ODIs behind Sachin (18,426 runs in 463 matches with 49 centuries) and fifth overall. Virat also has the second highest number of ODI centuries and is chasing ODI half-century tons. Among ODI players with at least 150 matches, he has the highest average, which speaks volumes for his consistency and the prize he puts on his wicket.

He is the third fastest to 5,000 ODI runs, second fastest to 6,000 and 7,000 ODI runs and fastest to 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000 and 12,000 ODI runs.

Virat boasts a solid record as ODI captain. He has led the team in 95 games, winning 65, losing 27, drawing one and two without a result, which translates to a winning percentage of 68.42.

She is part of the team that won the 2011 Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Women’s Champions Trophy, reached the semi-finals of the 2015 and 2019 Cricket World Cups and the final of the 2017 ICC Women’s Champions Trophy.

In 26 WC matches, he has scored 1,030 runs at an average of 46.81 in 26 innings. He has scored two centuries and six fifties, with a best score of 107. He has also played 13 ICC CT matches, scoring 529 runs at an average of 88.16, with five half-centuries in 12 innings. However, his inconsistent record in knockout fights has drawn him criticism.

In an era where the T20 format values ​​aggressive hitting, Virat has perfectly combined conservatism and situational attacks to become a T20I giant as well. In 115 T20Is, he scored 4,008 runs at an average of 52.73 and a strike rate of 137.96. He has scored one century and 37 half-centuries, with a best score of 122*.

He has the highest number of runs, fifty-plus scores and average in the history of T20I cricket. Virat also has the most ‘Man of the Match’ (15) and ‘Man of the Series’ (seven) awards in T20Is.

Virat is an all-time great ICC T20 World Cup player. With 1,141 runs in 27 matches and 25 innings in the tournament at an average of 81.50, a strike rate of 131.30 and 14 fifties, he is by far the most consistent player in the history of the tournament and the leading scorer. He has scored well for India in the knockout stages of the tournament, with half-centuries in all those matches. Despite his heroics, he is yet to win a T20 WC for India. He was even named the ‘Player of the Tournament’ in the 2014 and 2016 editions of the tournament.

He has other stats while chasing in T20 World Cups. In nine successful chases, Virat scored 518 runs at an average of 518.00! And that’s because he was fired only once while hunting. He has scored half-centuries in seven innings while chasing.

Overall, Virat has some incredible stats across all formats. With the advent of T20I cricket and the higher workload, Virat’s consistency in terms of runs and performances across all formats makes him arguably the best all-format batsman ever. In 501 matches, he has scored 25,582 runs at an average of 53.63. In 559 innings, he has scored 76 centuries and 131 fifties, with a best score of 254*.

He is the second-highest run-scorer for India and the fifth-highest run-scorer in international cricket, chasing the records of 34,357 international runs, 664 international caps and 100 international centuries held by his idol Sahin. He has the most Player of the Series awards in history.

All these stats won him the ICC ‘Player of the Decade’ award in 2011-20.