The last time India cricket team star Virat Kohli got an ODI century in England was way back in 2011. Yes, you read that right. It has been 15 long years since the run-machine has breached the triple-figure mark on English soil. Since then, he has scored 11 half-centuries, which include five back-to-back ones in the 2019 ODI World Cup, scored a lot of runs. But a century hasn’t been hit.
Now, Kohli has a golden chance to do so in Cardiff – the same venue where he scored his only century on English soil – in the ENG vs IND 2nd ODI. However, that will largely hinge on Virat’s ability to get into the groove, especially since he has had a lack of game time since the conclusion of the IPL 2026.
Can Virat Kohli end 15-year century drought in England?
The last and the only time Virat Kohli scored a century in England was on 16 September 2011. On that fateful day, which also happened to be his 5th ODI against ENG, the run-machine who was still a budding star scored 107 runs off 93 deliveries while batting at number 4. Virat’s innings came to an unfortunate end in that game as he was dismissed via hit wicket – the only time he has done so in the 50-over format. Despite his heroics, India went on to lose the game by 6 wickets as rain played spoilsport in the contest.
After that game, Virat’s scores in Cardiff read 31, 58*, and 0. 2014 was the last time Kohli played an ODI at the venue. Now, nearly 15 years later, he returns to the same city in a bid to end his century drought on English soil. And that could very well be possible in the ENG vs IND 2nd ODI, provided he manages to stick around.
Virat Kohli looked rusty on his return after a nearly two-month break. The former Indian captain missed the series against Afghanistan at home due to an injury. In the 1st ODI against England in Birmingham, he scored just 5 runs off 6 balls, lasting for just 4 minutes before he was sent packing by Jofra Archer. The King will be hoping to get better returns in the 2nd ODI.
Virat is also just 4 runs away from surpassing Rahul Dravid on the list of most runs scored by an Indian on English soil. He currently has 2642 runs from 58 matches in England (all three formats). In ODIs alone, he has 1354 runs from 34 matches, at an average of 50.14.
| Player | Matches | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rahul Dravid | 46 | 2645 | 55.10 |
| Virat Kohli | 58 | 2642 | 40.03 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 43 | 2626 | 49.54 |
| Rohit Sharma | 47 | 2298 | 49.95 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 36 | 1949 | 47.53 |
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