NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli and records continue to go hand in hand, and the Indian batting great added another landmark to his glittering career when he walked out to take the field in the first of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara. With that appearance, Kohli officially surpassed former India captain Sourav Ganguly to become the player with the fifth-highest number of One Day International appearances for India.
Kohli marked his 309th ODI for India, moving ahead of Ganguly, who finished his career with 308 matches in the format. Only four Indians now sit above Kohli on the all-time list of ODI appearances — Sachin Tendulkar (463), MS Dhoni (347), Rahul Dravid (340) and Mohammad Azharuddin (334). Given Kohli’s current fitness levels and workload management, it is widely expected that he will climb further up this elite list in the near future.With his focus firmly on the 2027 ODI World Cup, the 36-year-old is likely to go past Azharuddin and Dravid on the appearances chart.
Most appearances for India in ODIs
| Player | ODI appearances |
|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 463 |
| MS Dhoni | 347 |
| Rahul Dravid | 340 |
| M Azharuddin | 334 |
| Virat Kohli* | 309 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 308 |
Kohli’s appetite for records is not limited to appearances alone. Entering the New Zealand series with 27,975 international runs, he is also on the verge of becoming the second-highest run-scorer in the history of the sport across all formats. He needs just 42 more runs to overtake Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara (28,016 runs) and move into second place behind Sachin Tendulkar.