Virat Kohli achieved 15,000 ODI runs, becoming the second to do so after Sachin Tendulkar.
Virat Kohli was the toast of India’s win in the first ODI of the three-match series between India and West Indies that was played at the Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, on September 27, 2026. India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bowl first.
Windies openers John Campbell (62) and Justin Greaves added 135 runs for the first wicket. However, Greaves continued to make his maiden ODI century, hitting 101 with 12 fours. Though Kuldeep Yadav picked a few quick wickets, Amir Jangoo’s 58* and Roston Chase’s 24 took West Indies to 295/7 in 50 overs. Kuldeep Yadav was the star for the Indian team, taking 4/40.
India had a good start as well, with Rohit Sharma (32) and Shubman Gill adding 74 runs in 12 overs. Then Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli took the game away from West Indies, adding 151 runs for the second wicket.
Gill made 110 with 13 fours and one six, and after his dismissal, Virat Kohli took charge and hammered 139* in 89 balls with 10 fours and 9 sixes, taking India to victory in 41.4 overs and 8 wickets in hand. With this win, India went 1-0 up in the series, and Kuldeep Yadav won the Player of the Match.
Virat Kohli, during his 139*, went past 15,000 ODI runs, becoming only the second batter to do so, after Sachin Tendulkar. This was also his 55th ODI century, and he also equalled Tendulkar’s record of most centuries in List-A cricket: 60.
“Well, thank you firstly for the kind words. Well, my focus has never really been on these milestones, so to say. It's just understanding the situation along the course of just doing the job for the team, whatever. Achievements come along. Obviously, I feel very grateful and very blessed to be in this position, having played for so long.
And yeah, just keeping my head down, working hard, and thanking God for everything that I've been blessed with and the opportunities that I've gotten in my life to be where I am. We have a very blessed life and a blessed journey because so many people want to be here, but we get to be the lucky ones. So, we better put our heads down and just work hard every day of our lives,” Kohli told broadcasters after the game, in a video shared by BCCI.
Kohli stressed the importance of keeping himself physically fit and mentally well to continue to perform at the highest level.
“Yeah, I think just the understanding of the game firstly, also at the stage that I'm at, you know, just keeping myself physically very fit, because the game's more or less in the mind. I've never been a guy who practised a lot, even when I was playing all three formats, as you know. So, it's just for me about staying mentally fresh, staying in the present moment, and just expressing myself really out there to play in a certain way and getting used to this template more often. I've got a challenge at this stage of my career to kind of up the ante and play a gear or two higher, and yeah, that was exciting for me to work on.
Again, it excites you when you have to unlock a new version at this stage of your career, which will eventually help any team that you play for, be it playing for India or in the IPL. It's really helped me a lot to play with a free mind, and I think that's what's working for me. But I think to follow a free mind, you need a fit body. So, for me it works the other way around. I stay physically fit, and then I'm able to visualise the game in the way that I want to play, which allows me the best chance to go out there and execute in the way that I did tonight,” Kohli added, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Kohli was asked about the ongoing phase of his cricketing career and replied, saying that he’s grateful and happy to get an opportunity to represent his country in the sport.
“I'm just very grateful and happy, to be honest. Like, you know, it's... I think the only thing we need to do is just look back once and see where we came from. That's something that we tend to forget when we are caught up with the hustle of the world and the positions we get into, with so much attention and fame and so much love from the fans.
It can be very easy to forget where you came from. But I think just looking back at the journey from when you started as a child just makes you feel grateful. I enjoy each and every minute that I'm out there playing for India, because I understand that, as I said, I could have been a possibility that I wouldn't be standing here. I wouldn't have played for India at all. That could have been my reality as well. But I'm getting to live all these amazing moments representing my country, playing in front of such big crowds, and doing the job for the team. As a cricket player, this is all that I dreamt of, and I'm getting it. So I have nothing but gratitude in my heart, and, as I said, I just want to put my head down, keep working hard, put a smile on my face, and hopefully make other people smile too,” said Kohli.
He also had a message for the young and aspiring cricketers and asked them to work hard and maintain their love for the game.
“I mean, it's a fact which we don't want to face as athletes, that even if everything ends after this game, you have to play the way you want to play the game. And I think you have to remind yourself that every time you go out to play. That unlocks that positivity, that taking a risk, that unlocks that mindset which helps you to win games for your team. That's the only advice I would give to the young guys: don't think a lot about all the other stuff outside of the field. Once you enter the ground, this is everything, and it should be everything for you guys. And just put your body on the line. As I said, put your head down. If you have to run four doubles in an over when you're batting at 150, you have to do it. There are no excuses. So, if they play like that, then you should be fine,” Kohli stated.
The second ODI of the series will be played in Guwahati on September 30.