Kohli slammed 139* off 88 balls to script India's thumping win in the first ODI against West Indies.
Virat Kohli produced an absolute masterclass on Sunday (September 27), smashing an unbeaten 139 off just 88 balls* to guide India to a commanding eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the first ODI at Thiruvananthapuram.
Chasing a target of 296, Kohli obliterated the Caribbean bowling attack with 10 fours and a career-best 9 sixes at an incredible strike rate of 157.95. He brought up his century in style by launching Gudakesh Motie over long-on for a six, completing it in just 74 deliveries—the third-fastest ODI ton of his legendary career.
During his blistering knock, Kohli became only the second batter in cricket history to cross 15,000 ODI runs, following the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. He reached the milestone in his 303rd ODI innings, achieving it 74 innings faster than Tendulkar.
After his record-extending 55th ODI ton, Virat Kohli drew rich praise from Aakash Chopra. The former India cricketer-turned-commentator believes that Kohli has unlocked a freer, more relaxed style of batting in limited-overs matches after quitting Test cricket.
By stepping away from the red-ball format with a phenomenal legacy of 9,230 Test runs and 30 centuries, Kohli has shifted his international focus strictly to ODIs for Team India, alongside his T20 commitments for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL.
“Leaving Test cricket has just liberated him. There’s a lot more clarity in mind that this is the format that I play and this is how I want to play it. Test cricket demanded something else. And therefore, he had to always keep switching between the two formats, or rather three formats he was playing. But now it’s only ODI for India. It’s only T20 for RCB. He knows that I can actually go and enjoy batting. This is sheer enjoyment,” Chopra said on Cricinfo.
“How do you actually motivate yourself at this stage of your career where you’ve achieved everything that there is to be achieved? You keep upping the bar for yourself that the challenge is not coming from outside. Can I do this? Can I go there? The uncharted territory? I’ve not done this. Will it excite me now? I think that’s the kind of approach we see with Virat Kohli, which is, of course, refreshing,” he added.
Ahead of the West Indies series, Virat Kohli officially confirmed that the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in Africa will be his final global ODI tournament representing India.
"For me, it's the last World Cup I'm going to play for India. And that is my motivation. Like, you know, to leave everything out there," Kohli said while speaking on JioStar.
Since retiring from T20Is in 2024 and Test cricket in 2025, Kohli's international career is now entirely anchored around the 50-over format.
The veteran campaigner noted that an ODI World Cup demands extreme physical and mental resilience, comparing it to playing "2.5 T20 games in one day" across a stretch of 10 matches.
"The intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater than anything. Because now, it's about 10 games at a T20 level of intensity. But you are playing 2.5 T20 games in one day. And to maintain that intensity for 10 games in a big tournament and World Cup is a big deal," Kohli said.
Having experienced the highs of winning the trophy in 2011 and the heartbreak of losing the final in 2023, Kohli stated he is ready to do "whatever it takes" and leave everything out on the field.
"Of course, the goal is absolutely to win the World Cup. And whatever it takes, I'm absolutely ready," he remarked.