As Virat Kohli returns for the ODI series against Australia, statisticians are preparing for potential record-breaking performances from one of cricket’s most accomplished white-ball batters.Kohli’s comeback begins with the first ODI in Perth, marking his first appearance since India’s ICC Champions Trophy victory. During the Champions Trophy, he scored 218 runs across five matches, including a century against Pakistan and 84 runs against Australia in the semifinal.The 36-year-old Indian batter stands on the brink of several milestone achievements in ODI and limited-overs cricket.Kohli needs just 54 runs to become the second-highest ODI run-scorer of all time. His current record shows 14,181 runs in 302 ODIs from 290 innings, with an average of 57.88, including 51 centuries and 74 fifties. This achievement would surpass Kumar Sangakkara’s 14,234 runs in 404 matches.In combined limited-overs cricket, Kohli is approaching another significant milestone. He requires 68 runs to overtake Sachin Tendulkar‘s total of 18,436 runs. Kohli currently has accumulated 18,369 runs, combining his 14,181 ODI runs and 4,188 T20I runs.One more century would give Kohli the record for most centuries in a single format. He currently shares this record with Sachin Tendulkar, both having 51 centuries – Kohli in ODIs and Tendulkar in Tests.Additionally, his next century would mark his 30th in overseas conditions, making him the Asian batter with the most centuries outside Asia. This would surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 29 overseas centuries.This Australian tour will also begin Kohli’s preparation for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
