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STUMP VISION NOVEMBER 13, 2026 | The Indian Eye 50

Virat Kohli remains

unstoppable at 38,

driven by the same hunger

In one-day internationals, he has 15,183 runs in 318 matches at an average of 58.84, including
a record 55 centuries and 80 half-centuries. He is the format’s second-highest run-scorer

OUR BUREAU
Welington
irat Kohli turned 38 on Thursday, but the
force that has defined his career showed
Vno sign of fading a day earlier. The former
India captain marked his birthday eve with a com-
manding 51-ball 74 in a rain-shortened one-day
international against New Zealand, helping India
chase a revised target of 143 in Auckland.
The innings was another reminder that Kohli’s
appetite for runs and big moments remains undi-
minished as he enters the 19th year of his interna-
tional career, still competing at the top. It raised a
familiar question: how long can excellence endure?
Kohli’s birthday brought tributes from across
Indian cricket, with former teammates, admin-
istrators and his childhood coach celebrating his
records and the intensity that has sustained him.
Former opener Shikhar Dhawan praised his
“passion, hunger and love for the game,” while
Suresh Raina described watching Kohli bat as A cricket fan holds a placard of Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli to wish him on his 38th birthday at the airport in Wellington on
“pure joy.” Raina recalled the cover drives and un- Thursday (ANI Video Grab)
forgettable run chases that had given fans countless
memories, adding: “Once a King, Always a King!” completed the chase in a match reduced by rain. complished batters the game has seen. Across 566
Former India batter Manoj Tiwary shared a The knock came as he entered the 19th year of a international matches, Kohli has scored 28,601
photograph from a partnership with Kohli against career marked by triumphs, setbacks, records and runs at an average of 52.86, with 86 centuries and
the West Indies and urged him to “keep inspiring reinvention. 149 half-centuries. He is second on the all-time in-
generations with your hunger, passion and un- His perspective on what matters most was ev- ternational run-scoring list.
matched commitment to the game.” ident in a video posted by Star Sports, in which he In one-day internationals, he has 15,183 runs
Pacer Mohammed Shami wished Kohli many was asked to choose his best one-day international in 318 matches at an average of 58.84, including
happy returns in an Instagram story. Former fast innings. Rather than selecting one of his celebrat- a record 55 centuries and 80 half-centuries. He is
bowler Munaf Patel wished him good health, while ed hundreds, Kohli picked his 43 against England the format’s second-highest run-scorer. In tests, he
Dinesh Karthik, a former Royal Challengers Ben- in the 2013 Champions Trophy final. has made 9,230 runs in 123 matches at 46.85, with
galuru teammate, wrote: “Same fire, every single India were 66-5 in a rain-curtailed 20-over 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries, making him In-
year. 38 never looked this fit.” match when Kohli joined the effort to rescue the dia’s fourth-highest test run-scorer. His T20 inter-
Board of Control for Cricket in India innings. He added 47 runs with Ravindra Jadeja, national tally stands at 4,188 runs in 125 innings,
vice-president Rajeev Shukla called Kohli one of who scored 33, as India secured a five-run victory. with one century and 38 half-centuries.
the finest ambassadors of Indian cricket, saying his Kohli chose that contribution over more imposing His legacy is also measured in trophies: a 50-
achievements, fighting spirit and commitment had scores, including his 183 against Pakistan in the over World Cup, a T20 World Cup, two Champi-
“set new benchmarks” and continued to motivate 2012 Asia Cup and his 133 not out against Sri Lan- ons Trophy titles and two Indian Premier League
aspiring sportspersons. ka in Hobart in 2012. championships. As captain, he remains India’s
The most personal tribute came from Ra- He also placed his 35 in the 2011 World Cup most successful test leader, with 40 wins in 68
jkumar Sharma, Kohli’s childhood coach, who final ahead of several celebrated knocks. The in- matches and 17 defeats.
recalled the boy with big dreams who became a nings helped steady India’s chase of 275 after the At 38, Kohli is no longer at the beginning of a
global cricketing figure. “Proud of the person and team had slipped to 31-2, allowing Gautam Gam- career that once seemed to promise limitless possi-
cricketer you have become,” Sharma wrote. bhir to build the platform for victory. Kohli’s choic- bilities. Yet his latest performance and fitness point
Kohli’s latest innings was a reminder of the es suggest that an innings’ value is shaped as much to a player still driven by the same competitive fire.
competitive edge behind the tributes. Against New by its context as by the number beside his name. The milestones have accumulated; the hunger, it
Zealand, he struck 74 from 51 deliveries as India The numbers place him among the most ac- appears, has not.

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