After spending months away from cricket, Virat Kohli is back to take on the Aussies

Following his retirement from T20 and Test cricket, Virat Kohli has remained detached from international cricket for a long time. However, on October 19, Kohli will once again be seen in the blue jersey alongside his close compatriot Rohit Sharma. Both players will not only play for India’s win but also aim to make a statement to prove that the veterans still have what it takes to play for India at the highest level, i.e., the ICC World Cup 2027.

Speaking about Kohli, the superstar of Indian cricket is standing on the cusp of achievement, having reached several milestones during the series. Ahead of the first delivery, let us take a look.

Second-highest ODI run scorer

At present, Virat Kohli stands as the third-highest run scorer on the ODI table. If he scores merely 54 runs during the Australia tour, he will surpass Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara’s record of 14,234 ODI runs and grab the second place in the history of ODI cricket.

(Credit- Times Now)

Maximum boundaries

So far in his career, Kohli has hit 1,477 ODI boundaries (1,325 fours and 152 sixes). With three games in his hands, he only needs 23 boundaries to reach the milestone of 1,500 boundaries. If he achieves this feat, he will become only the third player to do so after Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya.

Most fifties

Sachin Tendulkar retired with 15 half-centuries against Australia, whereas Kohli already has 15. If he hits one more half-century, he will surpass Tendulkar’s record.

(Credit- HT)

Most ODI away centuries

When it comes to hitting the most ODI away centuries, retired Sachin Tendulkar stands at the top of this list as well. He retired with 29 away ODI centuries, whereas Kohli currently has 27. If Kohli hits three more during this tour, he will topple Tendulkar and move up the ladder.

Eyeing Rohit’s record

The Delhi-born lad is also the record-holder, presently held by Rohit Sharma. In ODIs, Rohit Sharma has four centuries against Australia in Australia. Kohli, with three centuries, will aim to add two more so that he can surpass Sharma’s record.

Kohli’s last against Australia

(Credit- The Federal)

Moving on to Kohli’s last ODI appearance against Australia, the Indian star batter played a crucial role in the first semi-final of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. When the opening duo of Sharma and Gill did not put enough runs on the board, it was Kohli who scored 84 runs in 98 balls, which helped India chase the target of 264 and reach the final of the tournament, where India defeated New Zealand to lift the title.

Seven months later, Kohli will aim to repeat his feat and score big runs against Australia, who are undoubtedly one of Kohli’s favourite opponents. And as mentioned in the introductory paragraph, big runs mean more chances of staying in the ODI format for the World Cup.