The two heavyweights from India (IND) and New Zealand (NZ) are ready to face off and fight for the Champions Trophy championship. Virat Kohli, who will play in his fifth ICC final and his 550th appearance for the Men in Blue in international cricket, will be the one receiving the most attention out of all the top players in the competition.
The renowned 36-year-old hitter will now become just the second Indian and sixth player overall to reach this milestone. He will also want to make the most of the final against New Zealand, who have a strong record against the Indian team in clutch games. They defeated them in the 2021 World Test Championship final, the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final, and the second Champions Trophy (then ICC Knockout Trophy) final in 2000. In the forthcoming match in Dubai, it is reasonable to assume that the team will have something to prove.
Regarding the other legends who have achieved the 550 international milestone, these are the legendary Australian Ricky Ponting, the former Indian player Sachin Tendulkar, and the Sri Lankan players Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, and Sanath Jayasuriya. This will be another record he can cross off his list and has officially placed him among cricket’s greats.
Virat Kohli overall record in cricket for his country
Speaking of Virat Kohli’s record across all game formats, he presently ranks third in terms of total runs scored across all three formats, only surpassed by Tendulkar and Sangakkara. His impressive average of 52.36 has allowed him to score 27598 runs. Kohli achieved 82 hundreds and 143 half-centuries over his lengthy career in international cricket.
The Delhi-based batsman has amassed 14,180 runs in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), 9,230 runs in Test matches, and 4,188 runs in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) when breaking down the scores by format. Throughout his illustrious 17-year career, he has won 21 Player of the Series accolades, ranking second in terms of Player of the Match titles with 69 wins.
Virat Kohli vs Rest after 549 International matches
Player Name | Country | Total Runs Scored | No. of Centuries | Average |
Virat Kohli | India | 27,598 | 82 | 52.36 |
Ricky Ponting | Australia | 27,287 | 71 | 46.88 |
Sachin Tendulkar | India | 27,179 | 78 | 48.10 |
Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 25,081 | 53 | 45.85 |
Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 22,199 | 47 | 39.57 |
Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 20,368 | 42 | 34.99 |