NEW DELHI: 74 not out, 135, 102, 65 not out and 131 - these are Virat Kohli's scores in his last five innings in 50-over cricket, a sequence that underlines the star batter's sheer dominance and form. The run of scores leaves little room for doubt over his fitness, rhythm and readiness as he sets his sights on the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Kohli marked his return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy after 15 years with a record-breaking performance, scoring his 58th List A century. He also became the fastest batter to reach 16,000 runs in List A cricket, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli achieved the milestone in his 330th innings, while Tendulkar took 391.
Virat Kohli’s 58th List A hundred: A maestro without an audience
Kohli cracked 131 off 101 balls laced with 14 fours and three sixes to guide Delhi to a four-wicket victory over Andhra in their opening Group D match at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Kohli was ably supported by Nitish Rana (77, 55b) and Priyansh Arya (74, 44b) as Delhi scaled down a challenging target of 299 in 37.4 overs.
His childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma said that Kohli has been in outstanding touch for some time and has seamlessly carried forward the momentum from his recent double century for India into the Vijay Hazare Trophy match.
"Bohot achhe hain aur shandaar form mein hain woh. Aur continue kiya hain apne form ko. Jaise India ke lie abhi do hundreds banaye the, usi continuation mein ah shandaar ballebaazi ki hain aj aur match jitaya Delhi ho. Kaafi shamay baad woh domestic cricket khel rahe the aur behad shanddar baari kehli unhone. (He is in terrific form and has continued it. Just like the two hundred he made for India recently, he carried that momentum today too, batted superbly again, and won Delhi the match. After a long time, he returned to domestic cricket and played a truly superb innings)," he told ANI.
Virat Kohli quietly achieves a record that speaks volumes
Sharma expressed full confidence that Kohli is fully prepared and ready to perform at the upcoming World Cup, underlining both his form and mental readiness for the big stage.
"Dekhiye woh shanddar form mein hain. Usne dikhaya hain peechle dono matches mein hundreds kiya hain India ke liye. Toh behtareen form mein hain. Aur woh ek aisa khiladi hain jo sabse zyada consistent hain bhartiya team ke liye, toh mere khayal se woh puri tarah taiyar hain World Cup ke liye. (Look, he is in excellent form. He showed it with hundreds in the two matches for India, so he is in outstanding touch. And he is the most consistent player for the Indian team, so I feel he is completely ready for the World Cup)", he added.
