Virat Kohli Scripts History As India March To Semi Final In Champions Trophy

DUBAI, (ANI) – Virat Kohli made history once again  as he became the first cricketer ever to feature in 300 One Day Internationals (ODIs), alongside having already played 100 Tests and 100 T20Is. The Indian cricket star achieved this monumental milestone during India’s final match in the ICC Champions Trophy Group A against New Zealand. This remarkable feat placed Kohli in an exclusive league, as he became the seventh Indian cricketer and the 18th player in the world to reach 300 ODIs.

However, what makes Kohli’s achievement even more unique is the context in which it occurred. While many cricketers have reached the 300-ODI mark, none had previously played 100 matches each in Tests and T20Is. In doing so, Kohli created an unprecedented record that underscores his versatility and longevity across all formats of the game.

Before the start of his 300th ODI, Kohli had accumulated 14,085 runs in 299 matches, with an impressive average of 58.20 and a strike rate of 93.41. While his 300th match saw him contribute just 11 runs, the significance of his journey through 299 ODIs cannot be overstated. Kohli has set multiple records on his path to 14,000 runs, becoming the fastest player to reach 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, 13,000, and 14,000 runs in ODI history.

“Whatever works”

After India’s 44-run victory over New Zealand in their final Group A match of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, skipper Rohit Sharma said that the team management will decide if four spinners will play in the semi-final against Australia on Tuesday and a call will be taken on the bowling options after looking at the pitch and weather conditions.

“Look, the game just got over now. We really need to think, even if we want to play four spinners, how we can squeeze four spinners. If we don’t, then we don’t. Whatever works for us in terms of the bowling options, we will try and do that,” Rohit said in a pre-match press conference.

“The reason I say that is because the conditions here are – we are very much aware of the conditions, and we know exactly what works and what doesn’t work. So, we’ll just give it a day. We’ll think about it, what is the right combination to go with. But it is tempting,” he added.