Virat Kohli unlocks a new version of himself with 15,000 ODI runs and 55th century

At 37, Virat Kohli continues to challenge himself to find a new version of his game, and his latest performance against the West Indies showed the results of that approach.

Kohli remained unbeaten on 139 in the first ODI in Thiruvananthapuram, recording his 55th ODI century. He also became only the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to cross 15,000 runs in men's ODI cricket.

Kohli's innings included 10 fours and nine sixes, the most sixes he has hit in a single ODI innings. He reached the milestone of 15,000 ODI runs during India's chase and continued on to complete another century.

Speaking after the match, Kohli said the challenge at this stage of his career is to raise his intensity and play at a higher gear.

“It is exciting to unlock a new version of myself. It allows me to play with a free mind and can be useful for India as well as in the IPL,” Kohli said.

Kohli also stressed that personal milestones have never been his main focus. Instead, he said his priority has always been understanding the situation and doing what the team needs.

He added that reaching such milestones is something he feels grateful and blessed to experience, while his focus remains on working hard and continuing to contribute to the team.