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Virat Kohli, what are you made of?

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Virat Kohli hit his 55th ODI century vs West Indies(Source: X/@BCCI)

Virat Kohli hit his 55th ODI century vs West Indies(Source: X/@BCCI)

Rishabh Beniwal

Rishabh Beniwal

Published - 28 Sep 2026, 04:53 PM Read time - 7 mins

He came, he saw, and he conquered. Once again.

As the capacity crowd at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram rose to its feet to celebrate another Indian victory, a similar figure stood in the middle, soaking it all in. A 37-year-old maverick who’s vowed to leave his fans enthralled every time he walks to the crease by adding a new dimension to his game.

An unbeaten 139* off 88 deliveries laced with ten fours and nine towering sixes. It was pure artistry at the 22 yards of the field, people call his kingdom. The undisputed king of cricket returned to rule the format he adores the most after two months with a perfect blend of grace, timing and bravado.

Having built his career on countless memorable run chases, Virat Kohli walked out with steely resolve after the fall of the first wicket, determined to once again take India over the line with the team chasing a steep target of 296 runs. Over the years, his innings have had one common characteristic: a flashy cover drive which announces his arrival at the crease. 

An unusual beginning

However, this time, even before scoring a boundary off the ground, Kohli took the aerial route and collected his first six on just the fourth ball of his innings, albeit through a top edge which flew over the wicketkeeper’s head for a maximum.

He further took on another short delivery in the same over, pulling it towards deep backward square leg to collect his first four. The shot pretty much summed up how the rest of the innings was going to pan out for West Indies bowlers, who could do nothing but marvel at the magic of Kohli’s willow, which he wielded like a sword to cut through their attack.

The third boundary came with a touch of perfection as Kohli transferred his weight on the back foot to fiercely cut Gudakesh Motie’s quicker delivery through point, giving no chance to backward point and short third.

It was as if the batting crease was his stage where he moved to the beats of his willow, sending everyone into a frenzy every time his bat made the ‘sweet sound’. In no time, Kohli brought up his half-century, completing the milestone off just 40 balls with a straight six down the ground. 

Kohli shows his new dimension

After reaching the landmark, the batting stalwart quickly shifted gears, sending the ball to the boundary more often than not, clearing the ropes with utmost ease. It has been a common pattern in Kohli’s game over the past two years as his strike rate has steadily increased as his innings has progressed.

Since 1st November 2025, Kohli has been boasting a strike rate of 116.85, a massive improvement on his career strike rate of 94.3. His six-hitting prowess has also seen a sharp increase, having clobbered 29 sixes in his last 20 innings, along with 97 fours.

Particulars Details
Overall career Strike Rate 94.3
After 1st November, 2025 116.85

Kohli's aggressive avatar

Particulars Details
Kohli's balls per six (overall career) 88.83
After 1st January, 2025 38.79

Particulars Details
Kohli's balls per four (overall career) 11.43
After 1st January, 2025 11.59

If there’s one thing that Virat Kohli loves the most, it’s being challenged to evolve his game and proving his naysayers wrong. The 37-year-old accepted the need to ‘up the ante’ at this stage of his career and has been revelling in his new version.

"I got a challenge at this stage of my career to kind of up the ante and, you know, play a gear or two higher. Yeah, that was exciting for me to work on. Again, it excites you when you have to unlock a new version at this stage of your career, which will eventually help, you know, any team that you play for, be it playing for India or in the IPL. It's really helped me a lot to play with a free mind, and I think that's what's working for me,” said Kohli in the post-match interview.

During the course of his innings, Kohli also climbed mount 15000 in ODIs, becoming just the second player to achieve the feat after his idol Sachin Tendulkar (377 innings), reaching the landmark 74 innings faster than him.

What followed next was a complete mockery of the West Indies bowling attack as Kohli continued to whack them towards the fence with utter disdain. He brought up his century off 74 deliveries, his third fastest in the format, reaching there with another colossal six. It was the first time in his career that Kohli completed both his fifty and hundred with a maximum.

He further finished the game with back-to-back sixes, taking his overall tally of maximums to nine, the most he’s ever hit in an ODI innings. It was another innings of perfection carved out with the most identifiable bat in world cricket.

Even after 18 years, Virat Kohli continues to set the highest standards of performance in world cricket. It’s his insatiable hunger to be the best in the world, even in the twilight of his career that separates him from the rest.

As he continues to climb the steps of greatness, where he already belongs in the upper echelons, the fire inside Kohli still burns bright, and he’s determined to script the brightest chapter of his career yet.