Virat Kohli has made an unexpected choice while reflecting on his finest ODI innings, placing a 43-run knock against England in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy final above several of his more celebrated centuries in the format.The former India captain, who turned 38 on Thursday, was featured in a video shared by Star Sports in which he was asked to pick his greatest ODI innings. The interaction came a day after he produced an impressive 74 off just 51 balls against New Zealand.Kohli‘s selections threw up a few surprises, with the batting great repeatedly favouring innings that might not immediately come to mind when recalling his most memorable performances.His first choice was his 35-run contribution in the 2011 ODI World Cup final against Sri Lanka. He preferred that knock over his unbeaten 133 against Sri Lanka in Hobart in 2012, when India chased down a target of 321 in just 40 overs. He also overlooked his 85 against Australia in the 2023 World Cup opener, an innings played when India were struggling at 2/3 while chasing 199.Kohli continued to back his World Cup final contribution when it was put up against his 122-run effort against England in 2017. That century came during a challenging chase of 351, with India reduced to 63/4. His unbeaten 160 against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018, where he scored 100 runs through running between the wickets, also failed to make the cut.However, when asked to choose between his 35 in the 2011 World Cup final and his performance in the 2013 Champions Trophy final against England, Kohli eventually picked the latter.The 43-run innings came in a rain-affected contest reduced to 20 overs, with India in trouble at 66/5. Kohli joined forces with Ravindra Jadeja to put together a valuable 47-run partnership, while Jadeja contributed an important 33. India eventually clinched the title with a five-run victory.Kohli’s final selection also came at the expense of some outstanding centuries. These included his 183 against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup while chasing 330, his 138 against South Africa in Chennai in 2015 and his 107 against Pakistan in the 2015 ODI World Cup. The latter was particularly significant as it made him the first Indian batter to score a World Cup century against Pakistan.
Virat Kohli’s remarkable international career
Kohli has built an extraordinary collection of achievements during his international career. His trophy cabinet includes an ODI World Cup, a T20 World Cup, two Champions Trophy titles and two Indian Premier League (IPL) trophies. He also holds the distinction of being India’s most successful Test captain, having guided the team to 40 victories in 68 matches, with 17 defeats.In Test cricket, Kohli has accumulated 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85. His tally includes 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries, making him India’s fourth-highest run-scorer in the format.His numbers in ODIs are equally remarkable. Kohli is the second-highest run-getter in the history of the format, with 15,183 runs from 318 matches and 306 innings at an average of 58.84. He has registered 55 centuries, a record in ODI cricket, along with 80 fifties.In T20 Internationals, he has scored 4,188 runs in 125 innings at an average of 48.69, including one century and 38 half-centuries. He ranks third on the all-time run-scoring list in the format.Across all three formats, Kohli has amassed 28,601 international runs in 566 matches and 633 innings at an average of 52.86. His overall tally comprises 86 centuries and 149 half-centuries, with his highest individual score being an unbeaten 254.
