Time and again, ever since Virat Kohli stepped away from the Tests, questions have been raised if he would be around till the World Cup 2027. But if the IND vs NZ series, and the ones preceding that are any indication, he is a must have in the team, for a year later and beyond. Look at his scores, he got a 93 in the first encounter, topped it with his 85th international ton in Indore.
29th Ton in Chase for Virat Kohli
That 93 coincided with India’s win, and the one he failed in, was a disastrous outing for Team India. On Sunday, Virat Kohli slammed his 29th ton in a chase.. and that just goes on to show, this Indian ODI team is a little incomplete without him. Just to break down his hundreds record even further, he has 25 tons in successful run chases (excluding this one).
Exceptional, unmatched record in ODIs
Let us break down his record even further, without even talking his major contribution in the chase in the IND vs NZ 3rd ODI. Against Australia, he has played 53 matches, and averages 53 with 8 tons to his name. Versus England it is 41 with 3 tons. Against NZ it is 36 matches and close to 1900 runs at an average of close to 60 with 7 tons, and vs Pakistan it is 778 runs in 17 matches, at an average of 60 with 4 tons.
When runs came at an average of 65 in 2025, and with an average of over 100 in 2026, there is no need to even ask if he would be around for the next World Cup. The fact remains, he is the World No. 1 batter in the world and should only step away when the time is right.
