Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli celebrates his 38th birthday on Thursday, November 5, 2026. Over the years, the former India captain has given cricket fans countless reasons to celebrate, producing unforgettable centuries, match-winning performances and record-breaking achievements across all formats. His aggressive approach, remarkable consistency, animated celebrations, and hunger for success have made him one of the world’s most popular cricketers. Kohli first attracted international attention when he captained India to the ICC Under-19 World Cup title in 2008.
Shortly afterwards, he made his senior international debut and began a journey that transformed him into one of the greatest batters in cricket history. From dominating Test cricket to becoming a modern-day ODI legend and excelling in T20 cricket, Kohli has consistently delivered for India. His ability to perform under pressure, particularly while chasing targets, has earned him the reputation of being one of the finest match-winners the game has witnessed.
As he celebrates his 38th birthday, Kohli will look to add more milestones to his extraordinary career. One of his biggest ambitions will undoubtedly be winning the 2027 ODI World Cup. Having been part of India’s victorious 2011 World Cup campaign, the veteran batter will hope to lift the prestigious trophy once again.
Meanwhile, Kohli recently produced another impressive performance against New Zealand, scoring 74 off 51 deliveries in India’s five-wicket victory in the opening ODI at Auckland. On his special day, here are 38 remarkable records and achievements that highlight Virat Kohli’s incredible journey in international and franchise cricket.
Virat Kohli’s ODI Records
1. Most ODI centuries in men’s cricket: Kohli has scored 55 centuries in ODI cricket, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s previous record of 49. He became the first batter to register 50 centuries in the format with his 117 against New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup semi-final.
2. Fastest batter to 10,000 ODI runs: Kohli reached 10,000 ODI runs in just 205 innings, achieving the milestone 54 innings faster than Tendulkar.
3. Most runs in successful ODI chases: With 6,477 runs in successful run chases, Kohli leads the all-time charts, underlining his reputation as cricket’s chase master.
4. Most ODI centuries in successful chases: Kohli has scored 25 centuries while chasing in ODIs, more than any other batter.
5. Most runs in a single men’s ODI World Cup: Kohli accumulated 765 runs in 11 innings during the 2023 World Cup, breaking Tendulkar’s previous record of 673 runs from the 2003 edition.
6. Highest run-scorer in ODI run chases: Kohli surpassed Tendulkar’s tally of 8,720 runs on November 4, 2026, reaching 8,741 runs while batting second in ODIs.
7. Most ODI centuries while chasing: Kohli is the first batter to score 30 centuries while chasing in ODI cricket.
8. First batter to score 13,000 ODI runs at No. 3: Kohli became the first player to cross 13,000 ODI runs while batting at the crucial No. 3 position.
Virat Kohli’s T20 World Cup and T20I Records
9. Most runs in men’s T20 World Cup history: Kohli finished with 1,292 runs across five T20 World Cup editions between 2012 and 2024, making him the tournament’s leading run-scorer.
10. Most runs in a single T20 World Cup edition: He scored 319 runs during the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, setting the record for the highest individual tally in one edition.
11. First player to win consecutive T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament awards: Kohli won the honour in 2014 and 2016, becoming the first player to achieve the feat.
12. Highest batting average among leading T20 World Cup run-scorers: Kohli finished his T20 World Cup career with an outstanding average of 58.72 across five editions.
13. Most Player-of-the-Match awards in men’s T20Is at retirement: Kohli had collected 16 such awards when he retired from T20I cricket, including recognition for his performance in the 2024 World Cup final.
14. Most Player-of-the-Series awards in men’s T20Is: Kohli won seven Player-of-the-Series awards during his T20I career.
15. Most runs by an Indian captain in a bilateral T20I series: Kohli scored 558 runs during India’s 2016 T20I series against Australia, setting the benchmark for Indian captains.
Virat Kohli’s Test Cricket Records
16. Highest ICC Test batting rating by an Indian: Kohli achieved 937 rating points in the ICC Test rankings in 2018, the highest rating recorded by an Indian batter.
17. Most double centuries by a Test captain: Kohli scored seven double centuries as captain, the highest tally by any captain in Test cricket.
18. Most Test double centuries by an Indian: Kohli registered seven double centuries, sharing the Indian record with Virender Sehwag.
19. Most Test matches as India’s captain: Kohli led India in 68 Test matches, more than any other Indian captain.
20. Most Test victories as India’s captain: India won 40 of the 68 Tests under Kohli’s leadership, making him the country’s most successful Test captain in terms of victories.
21. Most Test runs by an Indian captain: Kohli accumulated 5,864 runs as India’s Test captain.
22. Most Test centuries by an Indian captain: He scored 20 centuries while leading India in the longest format.
23. Highest individual Test score by an Indian captain: Kohli’s unbeaten 254 against South Africa in Pune in October 2019 remains the highest individual score by an Indian Test captain.
24. First Indian captain to score twin centuries on captaincy debut: Kohli achieved this remarkable feat against Australia in Adelaide in December 2014, scoring 115 and 141.
25. First Indian to score four centuries in an overseas Test series: Kohli registered four centuries during India’s 2014-15 tour of Australia.
26. First batter to score double centuries in four consecutive Test series: Kohli achieved the feat between 2016 and 2017 against the West Indies, New Zealand, England and Bangladesh.
27. Most Test runs by an Indian in a single home season: Kohli scored 1,059 runs at an average of 75.64 during India’s 2016-17 home season.
Virat Kohli’s IPL Records
28. Most runs in IPL history: Kohli has accumulated 8,779 runs in the Indian Premier League as of November 3, 2026, making him the competition’s highest run-scorer.
29. Most centuries in IPL history: With nine IPL centuries, Kohli leads the all-time list ahead of Jos Buttler, who has seven.
30. Most half-centuries in IPL history: Kohli has registered 64 half-centuries, the highest tally in the tournament.
31. Highest individual run tally in an IPL season: Kohli scored 973 runs for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2016, a record that remains unmatched.
32. Most centuries in a single IPL season: Kohli smashed four centuries during the 2016 edition, sharing the record with Jos Buttler, who achieved the same feat in 2022.
33. First batter to score 8,000 IPL runs: Kohli became the first player to reach the milestone and has continued to extend his lead.
34. First batter to score 600-plus runs in four consecutive IPL seasons: Kohli achieved this remarkable consistency between 2023 and 2026.
Virat Kohli’s Overall International Cricket Records
35. Second-highest run-scorer in international cricket: Kohli has scored more than 28,000 international runs across Tests, ODIs and T20Is, placing him behind only Sachin Tendulkar’s 34,357 runs.
36. Second-highest century-maker in international cricket: With 86 international centuries, Kohli is behind only Tendulkar, who finished his career with 100 hundreds.
37. Second-highest run-scorer in ODI history: Kohli has accumulated more than 15,000 ODI runs, with only Tendulkar ahead of him with 18,426 runs.
38. One of the greatest run-chasers in cricket history: Kohli’s extraordinary record in successful ODI chases, including 25 centuries and 6,477 runs, highlights his ability to deliver when India need him most.
At 38, Virat Kohli’s achievements reflect years of discipline, consistency and an uncompromising desire to win. With the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching, Indian cricket fans will hope that the legendary batter has a few more historic performances left to deliver.
