Former India captain Virat Kohli added another feather to his already-crammed hat on Sunday during the team’s final group-stage fixture against New Zealand in the 2025 Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Stadium.
He became the seventh India cricketer to reach the milestone of 300 ODI appearances, joining the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni in the elite club.
Kohli, who made his ODI debut in Dambulla against Sri Lanka, scored 14,085 runs through his illustrious career at an average of 58.20 and a strike rate of 93.41, with 51 centuries and 73 fifties, boasting a best score of 193. Incidentally, the 36-year-old’s 100th appearance in the format also happened in the Champions Trophy 12 years back, in the match against West Indies, while the 200th game was against New Zealand – in 2017.
Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin was the first cricketer to reach the milestone of 300 ODI matches, achieving it in 1998 against Australia. Over the next 27 years, 21 other cricketers reached the mark, including the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who later went on to top the chart with a record 463 appearances. West Indies great Chris Gayle was the last cricketer to make the list, joining in 2019 in a match against India.
List of India cricketers to feature in 300 ODIs:
Sachin Tendulkar (1989-2012) – 463 matches
MS Dhoni (2004-2019) – 350 matches
Rahul Dravid (1996-2011) – 344 matches
Mohammad Azharuddin (1985-2000) – 334 matches
Sourav Ganguly (1992-2007) -311 matches
Yuvraj Singh (2000-2017) – 304 matches
However, one aspect differentiates Kohli from the other 21 players on the list. He has become the first player to make 300 appearances in ODI cricket while having played 100 Tests and 100 T20Is.
More milestones await Kohli
After a rustic 22 off 38 in India’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh, which raised questions on Kohli’s struggle and future, the much-awaited resurrection unravelled in the high-stakes clash against arch-rival Pakistan in Dubai last Sunday. He smashed an unbeaten 100 in the team’s six-wicket win that sealed India’s semifinal qualification. It was his 51st career century, fourth against Pakistan and a maiden in the Champions Trophy.
The knock put Kohli within touching distance of another India record. With 651 runs under his belt in the Champions Trophy, coming across 15 innings, he now stands 51 runs away from Shikhar Dhawan’s record (701 runs in 10 innings) for most runs by an Indian batter in the ICC tournament. Overall, Kohli stands seventh in the all-time list led by Gayle, who scored 791 runs in 17 innings.
