Another milestone! Virat Kohli surpasses Sourav Ganguly in elite list during 1st ODI against New Zealand
Team India star Virat Kohli surpassed former India captain Sourav Ganguly in an elite list during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday.
Team India star Virat Kohli achieved yet another milestone in his career as he took the field in the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara, on Sunday, December 11. Adding another feather to his illustrious cap, Kohli surpassed former India captain Sourav Ganguly in an elite list.
Kohli overtook Ganguly to become the player with the fifth-highest number of ODI appearances for India. The batting maestro made his 309th appearance for India in the fifty-over format on Sunday after being named in the Men in Blue's playing XI for the ODI series opener against the Kiwis in Vadodara.
He went past Ganguly, who finished his career with 308 matches under his belt in ODIs. Only four Indian players have made more appearances for India in ODIs than Kohli. The legendary Sachin Tendulkar sits at the top of the elite list with a staggering 463 appearances for India in the fifty-over format.
He is followed by former India captain MS Dhoni, who made 347 appearances in the format. Former India captains Rahul Dravid (340) and Mohammed Azharuddin (334) occupy the third and fourth spots, respectively, on the elite list of Indians with most appearances in ODI history.
Most appearances for India in ODIs:
463 - Sachin Tendulkar
347 - MS Dhoni
340 - Rahul Dravid
334 - M Azharuddin
309 - Virat Kohli*
308 - Sourav Ganguly
With Kohli likely to continue playing for India till the 2027 ODI World Cup, there is a strong chance the star batter might end up surpassing both Azharuddin and Dravid to become India's third-most capped player in ODIs after Tendulkar and Dhoni.
Virat Kohli eyeing multiple milestones in New Zealand ODI series
Kohli will also be eyeing multiple milestones with the bat in the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand. The former India captain needs only 42 runs to overtake Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara and become the second-highest run-getter of all time in international cricket.
He is also on the verge of becoming the highest run-getter for India in ODIs against New Zealand. Kohli needs only 94 runs in the ongoing three-match series to go past Tendulkar to become the Indian batter with the most runs against the Kiwis in the format.