Post the Champions Trophy, we’ve witnessed a new version of Virat Kohli. The greatest ODI batter of the 21st century has evolved at 37. In his last 9 innings, Kohli has 3 hundreds and 3 half-centuries. Scoring runs has always been easy for him in 50-over cricket, but now, the pace at which he gets them has gone through the roof.
Against New Zealand, Kohli got 93, 23, and 124. Even if one removes his first knock, he scores more runs than India’s next best batter of the series, KL Rahul, who got 142 runs. It seems like Kohli has turned back the clock to 2016 and entered his prime again.
Has Virat Kohli re-entered his prime?
For those very reasons, India’s greatest Test opener, Sunil Gavaskar, thinks Kohli shouldn’t just play the 2027 ODI World Cup but can make the case for the 2031 edition of the ICC tournament and even beyond that.
“New Zealand would have been nervous the entire time Virat was at the crease. He was the one guy who could take the game away from them, and for long periods it looked like he might. It was a brilliant innings. He came in relatively early and lost five different partners along the way. Those partnerships later on with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana were important as well,” Gavaskar said on JioStar.
Gavaskar highlighted how Kohli has continued being India’s best batter and lone warrior in recent times. Unlike before, he started to put bowlers under more pressure, especially in the early stages of his innings. His play against spin has improved massively since he returned from London for the Australia tour.
The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted how, at 37, fitness remains exceptional. Kohli’s still India’s best runner between the wickets. That’s why Gavaskar hopes Kohli milks every bit of cricket left in him and continues playing till 2032-2033.
“Some of the shots were just crisp and clean. Beyond that, it’s how he maneuvers the field and how he runs between the wickets. There’s still an air of youth about him. Despite his age and experience, he’d probably still be the fittest guy in that side. That’s professionalism. The willingness to keep trying to win games, to drag your team back into the contest when they’re so far behind, and to run as hard as he does, for his own runs and for his teammates. There’s so much to love about how he’s playing at the moment,” he added.
Most hundreds in ODIs since 2025 Champions Trophy
BatterInningsRunsHighestScoreAverageStrikeRate100s50sKeacy Carty1559317039.5376.9130Virat Kohli961613588106.3933Daryl Mitchell10786137112.2897.0334Richie Berrington1039910544.338421Quinton de Kock6353123*70.697.5122Sunil Gavaskar backs Virat Kohli to play 2031 ODI World Cup, says ‘may he stick around until 44-45’ Inside Sport India.
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