Complete Guide: virat kohli records, ODI Test T20I IPL

A chase nearing dusk, a white ball fading, and a No. 3 who treats pressure like oxygen. That’s the image cricket fans carry when they hear Virat Kohli and records in the same breath. But the mythology only matters because the numbers back it up—relentlessly, across formats, in the biggest tournaments, for more than a decade of hard cricket. This is the definitive, continuously updated hub on Virat Kohli records: ODI, Test, T20I, IPL, ICC events, chases, knockouts, and captaincy. It’s built for readers who don’t want a list for trivia night; they want context, craft, and clarity.

What follows isn’t a stitched-together profile. It’s the cumulative story of a modern batting system—one that pairs old-school orthodoxy with frightening consistency, one boundary at a time. We map the complete list of Virat Kohli records, the meaning behind them, and the moments that made them.

Latest updates at a glance

Most ODI centuries: 50, a men’s world record, moving past the previous mark.
Fastest to every major ODI milestone from 8,000 to 13,000 runs.
Record for most runs in a single men’s ODI World Cup edition.
Leading run-scorer in the IPL overall; also holder of the most runs in a single IPL season.
Player of the Tournament twice in men’s T20 World Cups; Player of the Match in a T20 World Cup final.
First batter with 50 ODI hundreds; 80-plus international centuries across formats.
Most Test wins as India captain; most Test double-centuries by a captain.

Executive summary: the headline numbers that define Virat Kohli stats

International hundreds: 80-plus
ODI centuries: 50 (most)
Highest ODI score: 183 (v Pakistan, Mirpur)
Highest Test score: 254* (v South Africa, Pune)
Highest T20I score: 122* (v Afghanistan, Dubai)
IPL highest score: 113
Most runs in one ODI World Cup edition: record holder
Fastest to 8k, 9k, 10k, 11k, 12k, 13k ODI runs: record holder
Most ODI hundreds in run chases: record holder
Leading run-scorer in IPL: record holder
Most runs in an IPL season: 973
Most Test wins as India captain: record holder
Most Test double-hundreds as captain: record holder

Virat Kohli Records in ODIs: milestones, chases, and World Cup dominance

Kohli’s ODI body of work is the engine room of his legend. He made No. 3 a run-factory: compact front-press, late hands through the line, and impeccable risk management. When the target sits in his head, he breaks it into packets—powerplay sighters, middle-overs harvest, death-over checkmate.

Key Virat Kohli ODI records and milestones

Most ODI centuries: 50. The defining badge. It’s not the number alone; it’s the distribution—home and away, powerhouses and minnows, first innings and chases. The conversion rate from fifty to hundred is elite.
Fastest to 8k, 9k, 10k, 11k, 12k, 13k ODI runs: Each milestone came with time to spare versus the previous benchmark. The gap tells you as much as the record.
Most ODI hundreds in chases: The gold standard for “pressure batting.” Kohli made chasing feel procedural.
Record for most runs in a single men’s ODI World Cup edition: A mountainous tally built on risk-splitting and immaculate pacing.
Highest individual Asia Cup ODI score: 183, against Pakistan in Mirpur—one of the sport’s great chases.
Fifty-plus career average at a strike rate near a run-a-ball: The rare pairing that makes analysts smile and bowlers frown.

Table: Virat Kohli ODI records (selected)

Record Category	Value
Most ODI centuries	50 (record holder)
Fastest to 8k–13k ODI runs	record holder at each rung
Most ODI hundreds in chases	record holder
Highest ODI score	183
Most runs in a single ODI World Cup edition	record holder
Asia Cup ODI: highest individual score	183 (record holder)
ODI average	50+ for career
ODI batting position	predominantly No. 3, elite output

Chasing as a craft: why the numbers look so clinical

Kohli’s chase blueprint is one of modern ODI cricket’s most copied templates:

He protects his wicket early by playing under his eyes, letting the ball come, and using the full face for singles into cover and midwicket.
He targets high-probability zones: the midwicket clip, the late glide behind point, and mid-off push.
He calibrates tempo to partnership context, often deferring boundary-hitting to the partner if a matchup is favorable, then reclaiming control as the ball gets older.
He attacks the fifth bowler and the second spell of frontline quicks, turning sub-6 required rates into cruise controls.
He treats dot-ball pressure not as a squeeze but a signal to find a release—usually two calculated boundaries in the space of ten balls.
He keeps his shape under fatigue, which extends prime decision-making into the death overs.

World Cup records and big-tournament consistency

It’s in global tournaments that Kohli’s ODI game matured from prolific to inevitable. He holds the record for most runs in a single men’s ODI World Cup edition—a clinic in planning. There were early tough overs against the new ball, patience in the middle, and controlled acceleration late. The extra layer: playing for net run rate, not just match results, which matters in tournaments.

Virat Kohli ODI centuries list: context instead of a column of scores

Across continents and contexts, a pattern repeats—clean hitting, high tempo in the middle overs, and fifties that don’t stall out. Several ODI hundreds stand as masterclasses:

133* v Sri Lanka at Hobart: the innings that turned “prodigy” into “closer.” The way he dismantled Lasith Malinga at the death altered how teams approach extreme pace in chases.
183 v Pakistan in Mirpur: still his highest ODI score, a chase that stripped Pakistan’s attack of aura through tempo control and boundary selection.
100 off 52 balls v Australia in Jaipur: the technical aggression—front-foot on middle-and-off, wrists whipping into the leg side—showed how his ODI gear can look like T20 when needed.
A run of hundreds away from home against high-class pace: proof that these are not padded numbers.

Opponent and venue splits worth knowing

Against Australia: a fierce body of work. Multiple hundreds in ODIs, many of them in tough surfaces or large grounds where running becomes a weapon.
In India vs overseas: minimal drop-off, a hallmark of greatness in white-ball cricket.
Adelaide, Pune, Mumbai: venues where his visual memory is strong—early rhythm, high control, sumptuous cover drives.

Virat Kohli Test Records: double hundreds, SENA hundreds, and captaincy supremacy

Kohli’s Test batting evolved: early flourish in Australia, a trough in England, then a recalibration of his outside-off game—softer hands, tighter leaves, and a controlled scoring window from point to mid-off. He compounded this with ruthlessly efficient captaincy.

Major Virat Kohli Test records

Most Test wins as India captain: 40 victories, a national record. It’s not a stat in isolation; it sits next to series wins abroad and a home citadel that rarely cracked.
Most Test double centuries as captain: record holder. The appetite for big scores wasn’t cosmetic. It was captain-leading-from-the-front writ large.
First-ever Test series win in Australia as India captain: a transformation in India’s overseas identity.
Hundreds in Australia, England, South Africa: the SENA badge earned the hard way, against the moving Kookaburra and the hard Dukes ball.
Highest Test score: 254*, a pure batting day that never got messy.

Table: Virat Kohli Test records (selected)

Record Category	Value
Most Test wins as India captain	record holder
Most double hundreds as captain	record holder
First India captain to win a Test series in Australia	achieved
Test hundreds in Australia, England, South Africa	achieved
Highest Test score	254*
Home average vs away average	both robust, with SENA hundreds anchoring away credentials

SENA tours and the technical correction

The most important Kohli adjustment in Tests wasn’t a new shot; it was a new idea of restraint. In England, the first swing at the ball outside off was toned down to a second or third look. Against South Africa, the volleys were on-stump, and he played with sturdy base and straight shape. In Australia, he trusted the bounce and didn’t chase it. High elbow, late hands, bat coming down like a metronome—those series produced defining hundreds.

Captaincy records: the cultural reset

Fielding standards rose. Slip catching for quicks became an obsession.
Bowling changes weren’t conservative. He rode hot spells and wasn’t afraid to risk runs for wickets.
Fitness culture went from benchmark to identity.
India at home transformed into a formidable unit where opponents often lost the game on the second afternoon, not the fifth day.

Virat Kohli T20I Records: consistency in a format built on volatility

The marvel of Kohli in T20Is is not raw strike rate—it’s the capacity to average like a top-order anchor while finishing like a modern T20 batter in the right matchups. Add the tournament pedigree: two-time Player of the Tournament in men’s T20 World Cups and Player of the Match in a T20 World Cup final.

Headline Virat Kohli T20I records

Among the top career run-getters in T20Is, with an elite average and the most reliable 50+ conversion rate over a long period.
Highest T20I score: 122*, a landmark innings that answered the “where is the T20 hundred?” chorus in emphatic fashion.
Most fifty-plus scores in T20Is for long stretches; remains among the top all time.
Player of the Tournament twice in T20 World Cups—no padding in bilateral comfort zones, but peak performance under global scrutiny.
Player of the Match in a T20 World Cup final: a stage where the ball feels heavier for most batters.

Table: Virat Kohli T20I records (selected)

Record Category	Value
Highest T20I score	*122 (record for India)**
Player of the Tournament in T20 World Cup	2 times
Player of the Match in T20 World Cup final	achieved
Most fifty-plus scores in T20Is	among the top all time
Role	top-order anchor-finisher hybrid with elite chasing numbers

The Melbourne epic and the anatomy of a chase

The T20 World Cup chase at the MCG against Pakistan belongs in batting folklore. The back half of the innings mixed audacity and algorithm: six over long-on with a straight bat, a late cut that zigzagged past point, and the long game against Pakistan’s best. It was not luck. It was shot selection under the heaviest pressure T20 has to offer.

Virat Kohli IPL Records: a domestic behemoth with global meaning

The IPL tells sponsors and fans how marketable a player is. It tells analysts how adaptable a batter is to matchups, surfaces, and roles across a long tournament. For Kohli, it also holds several of his most iconic records.

Core Virat Kohli IPL records

Leading run-scorer in IPL history: the definitive career accumulation record.
Most runs in a single IPL season: 973. A number that has become shorthand for domination.
Most centuries in a single IPL season: 4, in the same peak run-scoring year.
Among the leaders for career IPL centuries; holds or shares the record for the most IPL centuries.
First to 8,000 IPL runs: a frontier milestone for the league.
Multiple 200-plus partnerships with AB de Villiers, including one of the highest partnerships in T20 history.
Most matches for a single IPL franchise: the ultimate loyalty badge, amplifying brand and legacy at Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Table: Virat Kohli IPL records (selected)

Record Category	Value
Most runs in IPL	record holder
Most runs in a single season	973 (record holder)
Most centuries in a single season	4 (record holder)
Career IPL centuries	record holder or joint-record holder
First to 8,000 IPL runs	achieved
Highest IPL score	113
Longest single-franchise tenure	RCB stalwart

What those IPL records say about his T20 method

Against spin: rotates at will and targets line with inside-out lofts when matchup allows.
Against pace: favors the V with early read of length, trusting top-hand control at high speed.
Powerplay: risk-minimizing start when conditions demand it; a more vertical bat against back-of-a-length pace to pierce the infield.
Middle overs: the secret sauce—bilateral with singles, then punctuated by two or three high-value shots per over.
Death overs: selective targeting. He rarely hits every ball; he picks the matchup.

Virat Kohli ICC tournament records: World Cup, T20 World Cup, Asia Cup, Champions Trophy

Tournaments compress the calendar into a crucible. Kohli’s numbers survive that compression better than almost anyone.

ODI World Cup: record for most runs in a single edition. Multiple fifties and hundreds that set or sealed games during the tournament.
T20 World Cup: two-time Player of the Tournament; Player of the Match in a final; one of the format’s definitive big-match performers.
Asia Cup: the highest individual score in the ODI version of the tournament (183); a T20I hundred at Dubai signaled a role pivot with the same base principles.
Champions Trophy: runs across editions, including knockout contributions that kept India in the mix.

Table: Virat Kohli ICC events (selected records)

Tournament	Key Record
ODI World Cup	most runs in a single edition: record holder
T20 World Cup	Player of the Tournament: 2 times
T20 World Cup	Player of the Match in final: achieved
Asia Cup ODI	highest individual score: 183 (record holder)
Asia Cup T20I	international T20 hundred: 122*

The Clutch Index: chases, knockouts, and top-tier opposition

Every record list should pass a second test: how do the numbers behave when the light gets harsh? Kohli’s metrics in pressure buckets are different from almost everyone’s because they don’t degrade much.

Chasing in ODIs: holds the record for most hundreds in chases and sustains a sky-high average in successful pursuits. Strike rate doesn’t sag in the middle overs; it lifts.
Knockouts: consistent contributions across T20 and ODI knockout games, with signature innings in a T20 World Cup final and an ODI World Cup semi.
Versus top-five teams: the early phase is conservative, the sum total isn’t. He still outscores most contemporaries in volume and consistency.
In SENA conditions: Test and ODI hundreds in Australia and South Africa; high-value runs in England; improved leave and patience outside off.

Virat Kohli centuries list: the patterns that separate him

ODI hundreds often arrive between overs 30 and 45: the engine revs in the middle overs, not the powerplay.
Test hundreds abroad are built on bowl-leave sequences: he lets the ball go for half an hour and then manufactures scoring lanes through extra cover.
T20I peak knocks have decisive back-10 acceleration: unhurried until he is; then relentless.
The fifties-to-hundreds conversion rate is among the best of this era in ODIs because the risk profile late in the innings drops, even as scoring rate rises.

Opponent-wise and venue-wise Kohli records and insights

Versus Australia: ODI hundreds stacked across home and away; big runs in World Cups; Test hundreds in Adelaide and at the MCG, with a penchant for rising with the standard of the opposition.
Versus Pakistan: two iconic white-ball knocks define the rivalry—Mirpur 183 in ODIs and the MCG masterclass in T20Is. Both chases, both touchstone innings for his career narrative.
Versus England: the away correction tour, with a defining Test hundred at Edgbaston and a white-ball series that displayed refined off-stump judgment.
Versus South Africa: a Test hundred at Centurion against a high-class seam attack; white-ball runs crafted against pace on quick surfaces.
In Australia: loves Adelaide; the sight-screen backdrop seems to sharpen his alignment.
In India: domineering ODI returns and long Test hundreds on slow surfaces where patience is a weapon.

Virat Kohli captaincy records: the architect’s blueprint

The numbers under Kohli’s leadership sketch a cultural transformation. India didn’t just win; they developed a habit of squeezing teams.

Captaincy highlights and records

Most Test wins as India captain: a historic mark that reflects depth in planning and selection.
First India captain to win a Test series in Australia: changed India’s overseas identity.
Most Test double hundreds by a captain: synergy of personal form with team dominance.
ODI captaincy: elevated fielding standards, sharper matchups in the middle overs, and more aggressive death-bowling tactics. While India’s global white-ball titles eluded him as captain, the win-loss ledger is strong, and India’s tournament performances were consistently deep.

Awards and honors connected to his records

ICC awards: multiple-time ICC Cricketer of the Year and ODI Cricketer of the Year.
National honors: Arjuna Award, Khel Ratna, Padma Shri.
IPL honors: multiple Orange Cap seasons and MVP-level campaigns, with the signature 973-run season that redefined what “dominant” looks like in a league setting.

Comparisons: Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, and the Fab Four

Comparisons aren’t about one-upmanship; they help decode what is unique. Here’s how to frame them without losing the nuance.

Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar

ODI centuries: Kohli moved beyond Tendulkar’s 49 with his 50th. That single crossing is symbolic—an era learning from an era, then going one step further.
Pace-era context: Kohli’s middle-overs strike rate is higher; Tendulkar opened more often. Era, role, and fielding restrictions matter.
Tournament peaks: Tendulkar owns all-time ODI World Cup aggregate dominance; Kohli owns the single-edition runs record.

Virat Kohli vs Rohit Sharma

ODI dynamics: Kohli’s consistency at No. 3 vs Rohit’s ceiling as an opener with multiple double hundreds. Different jobs, both elite.
T20I aggregate: Rohit’s longevity as an opener vs Kohli’s chasing template from No. 3/No. 4. The better question is “who fits which T20 template” rather than who is “better.”

Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam

ODI consistency: both master technicians with high averages and compact techniques. Kohli’s achievements span longer volumes and tournament peaks; Babar’s prime is superlative and ongoing.
Pressure environments: Kohli’s big-tournament sample size is larger, with match-defining innings in finals and knockouts.

Virat Kohli vs Steve Smith / Kane Williamson / Joe Root (the Fab Four)

Tests: Smith’s average, Root’s volume, Williamson’s serenity—and Kohli’s combination of impact, captaincy wins, and peak double-hundreds. If the question is “who has the complete career with bat and leadership,” Kohli’s portfolio is hard to top.

Specialist breakdowns you won’t find on a raw stats page

The cover-drive as decision, not highlight: Kohli doesn’t play it early on green surfaces. He unlocks it after 30 balls, once his eyes and feet agree.
Risk-toggling in ODI chases: Watch overs 36 to 42; his dot-ball count rarely climbs above two per over in that phase, even without four-hunting.
Spin-mismatch hunting in IPL: He looks for wrist-spin with straight boundaries long, then hits 65–75% of his boundaries through extra cover and midwicket, not square leg.
Bowler psychology: Quick singles off the bowler’s hand discourage bouncers in middle overs because fielders close in. That opens the pull later.
Fitness as strategy: The two, not the four, is the plan. Fielders move back; gaps appear; dots vanish.

Virat Kohli records while chasing, batting first, and second-innings splits

While chasing (ODIs): record numbers—most hundreds and among the highest averages in successful pursuits. Risk sits low, tempo stays high.
Batting first (ODIs): hundreds that crush morale early; he often sets par above what analysts model.
Second innings (Tests): a tougher space in modern cricket; Kohli’s best second-innings knocks emphasize survival first, scoring later.
Knockouts: no dip in output, which is the main separation between superstar and legend.

Run-scoring phases: powerplay, middle overs, death overs

Powerplay: low-risk absorption, eyes on singles; strike rate moderate but steady.
Middle overs: the kill zone; he manufactures twos, manipulates angles, and cashes in on weaker bowlers.
Death overs: selective violence—targets length and line, not the scoreboard alone.

Virat Kohli achievements and milestones: a capsule list worth saving

First batter to 50 ODI centuries.
Fastest to 8k–13k ODI runs; among the fastest to 25k-plus international runs.
Most runs in a single men’s ODI World Cup edition.
Two-time T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament; Player of the Match in a T20 World Cup final.
Most Test wins as India captain; most double hundreds as a captain.
Leading run-scorer in IPL history; most runs in a single IPL season; first to 8,000 IPL runs.
Highest individual ODI score in Asia Cup history.

Frequently answered facts fans ask about Virat Kohli records

How many international centuries does Virat Kohli have?
Over 80, across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
How many ODI centuries does Virat Kohli have?
50, the most by any men’s player.
What is Virat Kohli’s highest score in ODI, Test, and IPL?
ODI: 183
Test: 254*
IPL: 113
What are Virat Kohli’s most important World Cup records?
The single-edition runs record in the men’s ODI World Cup; consistent knockout contributions in white-ball ICC events; two-time Player of the Tournament in T20 World Cups and Player of the Match in a final.
How many Man of the Match and Player of the Series awards does Virat Kohli have?
Among the top all-time in international cricket and among the leaders in ODIs and T20Is. In T20 World Cups, he owns multiple Player of the Match awards in high-pressure games.
What are Virat Kohli’s records as captain?
Most Test wins by an India captain; most Test double-hundreds by a captain; first India captain to win a Test series in Australia.

A curated timeline of high points and records (without dates, for the scrapbook)

The Hobart 133* chase: a marker that this was not a normal No. 3.
Mirpur 183 v Pakistan: an ODI epoch-maker in the subcontinent.
Test twin hundreds in Adelaide: aesthetic aggression turns leadership statement.
A global ODI batting tempo: fastest to every rung from 8k to 13k runs.
The 973-run IPL season: a number that still sounds made up.
A T20I hundred at Dubai: the format conversation got its punctuation mark.
Record-breaking 50th ODI century, a moment stitched to a World Cup surge.
Player of the Match in a T20 World Cup final: the arc completes itself on the biggest night.

Virat Kohli records vs Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa, and SENA tours

Australia: ODI hundreds that often coincide with match wins; multiple Test hundreds; a comfort in large outfields where running is premium.
England: a hard reset story; a top-order Test hundred at Edgbaston that silenced the moving ball; ODI series where he out-thought the wobble seam.
Pakistan: two generational white-ball knocks—Mirpur’s 183 and the MCG’s night of sorcery; the rivalry’s highlight reel is kind to him.
South Africa: a Test hundred at Centurion against elite pace; ODI mastery on fast pitches.
SENA: checkmarks across the board, a rarity for subcontinental batters across formats.

Virat Kohli world cup records and knockout match records

ODI World Cup: the mountainside—most runs in a single edition, a category redefiner.
T20 World Cup: tournament MVP twice; match-winning performance in the final; sustained excellence in pressure games.
Knockouts in general: fifties that alter the game shape rather than chase highlights; strike rotation as a form of dominance.

Virat Kohli domestic and first-class touchpoints

First-class double hundreds predated Test double hundreds; the appetite didn’t arrive suddenly at the top level.
List A consistency mirrored his ODI method early—high average, no inflated strike rate needed to win games from No. 3.
IPL as laboratory: patterns honed there influenced his international white-ball logic—especially middle-over scoring and boundary selection.

Why these records endure: technique, temperament, training

Technique: head still, bat face pristine, wrists doing the talking through midwicket and cover. He scores in high-percentage zones; the false-shot percentage under pressure is unusually low.
Temperament: he treats the target as a system to deconstruct. Emotion fuels intent but rarely distorts selection.
Training: the two-run obsession is not vanity; it’s a lever. Bowlers get tired earlier, fields drift straighter, and singles reappear. It’s match control disguised as fitness.

Virat Kohli ke records (Hindi summary)

ODI mein sabse zyada centuries: 50
Sabse tez 8 hazaar se 13 hazaar ODI runs: record
Ek World Cup edition mein sabse zyada runs: record
T20 World Cup mein do baar Player of the Tournament; final mein Player of the Match
Test captain ke roop mein sabse zyada jeet; captain ke roop mein sabse zyada double hundreds
IPL mein sabse zyada career runs; ek season mein 973 runs; 8,000 IPL runs tak pahunchne wale pehle khiladi
Asia Cup ODI ka sabse bada score: 183

Virat Kohli achievements that sit between numbers and meaning

He made No. 3 in ODIs the most reliable winning position in the sport.
He turned middle overs—the part of ODIs most teams sleepwalk through—into his personal domain.
He taught a generation that running hard is not effort, it’s strategy.
He reimagined Indian captaincy as a culture play: fitness, fielding, and fast bowling as cornerstones.
He harvested greatness without losing aesthetics—front-elbow shape, on-drive stillness, back-foot punch as sweet as it gets.

Tables: consolidated, high-value reference

Table: Virat Kohli format-wise career peaks

	Tests	ODIs	T20Is	IPL
Highest score	254*	183	122*	113
Centuries/Runs		50, most in men’s ODIs
Captaincy	Most Test wins by an India captain Record holder for double hundreds as captain
Milestones	SENA hundreds: yes (AUS, ENG, SA)	Fastest to 8k–13k runs Chasing hundreds: record holder World Cup single-edition runs: record holder	Player of the Tournament in T20 World Cup: 2 times Player of the Match in T20 World Cup final: achieved 50+ scores: among the all-time leaders	Most career runs: record holder Most runs in a season: 973 Most centuries in a season: 4 First to 8,000 IPL runs: achieved

A note on sustainability: why his records will age well

Role-proof: His ODI method doesn’t depend on opening field restrictions or freakish power. It’s built on timing and decisions—assets that age better.
Tournament-proof: World Cups and T20 World Cups reward temperament. He has shown it, repeatedly.
Venue-proof: He scores in SENA and in Asia, on slow turners and quick decks—no single condition props up the records.

Virat Kohli records by match situation

Powerplay control in ODIs: dot-ball economy and single-scoring rhythm preserve wickets, enabling middle-over surges that produce 100s without death-over risks.
Death-over selectivity: he waits for slot and width; the percentage of slog misses is notably lower than average.
Chase mapping: he communicates with partners relentlessly, removing two of the classic chase risks—misreads and panic.

Why Virat Kohli’s list of records matters beyond trivia

Because it changes how teams plan:

Bowling plans must be custom: one-size-fits-all lengths won’t work. He forces early use of trump cards.
Fielding arrangements must be planned for twos, not just boundaries.
Match progression shifts: against Kohli, defend 300 late in ODIs at your peril—par is not par.
For young batters, it’s a blueprint: you can be classical and still dominate T20s, you can be patient and still own ODIs.

Closing: legacy in motion

Records are glass cases if they don’t breathe. Kohli’s numbers still breathe. They’re not relics—they’re live principles for winning cricket. Most ODI centuries, the fastest climbs to each 1,000-run rung, the mountain of runs in one World Cup, the IPL career lead, the Test captaincy wins: none of it happened by accident. It came from building a batting system that works under bright lights and grey skies, on flat decks and minefields, in front of home crowds and away sledges.

There will be more numbers. There will be new challengers and new scoreboards. But the craft that built these Virat Kohli records—the patience, the geometry, the hunger—is the part that endures. That’s why coaches still point to his middle-over tapes; why analysts still marvel at the strike-rotation matrix; why kids still shadow-bat the cover drive. The list is complete for now, and still somehow unfinished. That’s the only kind of record book worth reading.