As Team India gears up to face Australia in a three-match ODI series starting October 19 in Perth, all eyes will be on Virat Kohli, who is just one century away from rewriting cricket history. The 36-year-old batting icon returns to international cricket after almost seven months, and with it, comes the chance to break a record that has stood untouched for nearly 148 years.
Kohli One Ton Away From a Historic World Record
Virat Kohli currently stands level with Sachin Tendulkar for the most centuries in a single format — both have 51. Tendulkar reached the milestone in Tests, while Kohli achieved it in ODIs.
If Kohli scores another century during this series, he will become the first cricketer ever to notch 52 centuries in one format, a record no player in cricket’s 148-year history has managed.
Across formats, Kohli has already amassed 82 international centuries — 51 in ODIs, 30 in Tests, and one in T20Is. Only Sachin Tendulkar, with his legendary 100 international hundreds, sits ahead of him.
Master of Australian Conditions
Australia has always brought out the best in Kohli. In 29 ODIs played down under, he has scored 1,327 runs at an average of 51.03 with five centuries and six fifties. His strike rate of over 89 further underlines his consistency in challenging conditions.
Interestingly, Kohli’s last five innings against Australia have all been impactful — 54, 56, 85, 54, and 84 runs, showing his dominance against one of the world’s strongest bowling units.
He also holds the record for the most centuries (17) by a visiting batter across all formats in Australia. Another ton in this series would make him the top foreign batter with the most ODI centuries on Australian soil, surpassing Rohit Sharma and Kumar Sangakkara, who both have four each.
Closing in on More Milestones
Kohli isn’t just chasing one record — he’s on the verge of several.
- He needs 54 runs to surpass Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) and become the second-highest run-scorer in ODI history, behind only Tendulkar (18,426).
- He also needs 67 runs to become the leading run-scorer in white-ball cricket (ODIs + T20Is), overtaking Tendulkar’s 18,436 runs. Currently, Kohli’s combined tally stands at 18,369.
Series to Watch: India vs Australia ODI Schedule 2025
- 1st ODI: October 19 – Perth
- 2nd ODI: October 23 – Adelaide
- 3rd ODI: October 25 – Sydney
As India, led by Shubman Gill, begins its ODI campaign in Australia, Virat Kohli’s return adds massive excitement. With records waiting to be broken and history within touching distance, fans across the world will be eager to see if the modern-day legend can etch his name even deeper into cricket’s golden archives.
