Virat Kohli says ‘Focus Never on Milestones’ after completing 15,000 ODI Runs

Virat Kohli’s latest ODI milestone came with another match-winning performance, but the India star made it clear that personal records remain secondary to his responsibility towards the team.

The 37-year-old became only the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to cross 15,000 ODI runs during India’s first ODI against West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram. Kohli then went on to produce a spectacular unbeaten 139 off just 88 balls, featuring 10 fours and nine sixes, as India chased down 296 in 41.4 overs. The innings also took Kohli’s tally to a record-extending 55 ODI centuries.

“My focus has never really been on these milestones, so to say. It’s just understanding the situation along the course of just doing the job for the team, (the) achievements come along,” Kohli told the broadcaster after the match.

Kohli said he remains grateful for the opportunity to continue representing India while acknowledging the journey that brought him to this stage.

“Obviously, I feel very grateful and very blessed to be in this position for having played for so long. Just keeping my head down, working hard and thanking God for everything that I’ve been blessed with and the opportunities that I’ve got in my life to be where I am,” he said.

The batter also spoke about his effort to become more aggressive at this stage of his career, describing it as a challenge that has helped him develop another dimension to his game.

“For me, it’s about staying mentally fresh, staying in the present moment and just expressing myself really out there to play in a certain way, get used to this template more often. I got a challenge at this stage of my career to kind of up the ante and play a gear or two higher and yeah, that was exciting for me to work on.”

With the 2027 ODI World Cup now roughly a year away, Kohli also underlined the importance of clarity and continued physical intensity. India took a 1-0 lead in the series after the win, and the focus now shifts to Guwahati for the next match on Wednesday.