ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Virat Kohli Set To Equal Or Break Nine Records

ISLAMABAD: Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli, already the holder of the most ODI centuries, has a chance to rewrite history in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Leading run-scorer

Currently sitting 11th with 529 runs, Kohli is poised to ascend the ranks. None of the ten players ahead of him will grace the field in 2025.

Among those who will, only Rohit Sharma (481) and Joe Root (431) lurk within striking distance, while Kohli trails Chris Gayle, the all-time leader with 791 runs, by a mere 262 runs.

Top Indian run-scorer

Kohli requires just 173 runs to surpass Shikhar Dhawan’s record of 701 runs and establish himself as India’s leading run-scorer in the tournament.

To achieve this, he will also need to eclipse the tallies of Rahul Dravid (627) and Sourav Ganguly (665).

Second-most runs in ODI history

With Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) far ahead in the record books, Kohli (13,963) needs just 271 runs to leapfrog Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) into second place on the all-time ODI run-scoring list.

Fastest to 14,000 ODI runs

Having played 285 ODI innings, Kohli is on the brink of becoming the quickest player to reach the illustrious 14,000-run mark.

He needs a mere 37 runs in his next 64 innings to achieve this feat, significantly faster than Tendulkar’s 350 innings and Sangakkara’s 378. Despite a recent slump, he is more than capable of reaching this milestone.

Second-most outfield catches

Currently fourth on the list with 154 catches, Kohli needs just three more to surpass Mohammad Azharuddin (156) and seven to outstrip Ricky Ponting (160).

However, Mahela Jayawardene (218) remains a formidable barrier at the top.

Most fifty-plus scores

This is a record that seems well within Kohli’s grasp. With five half-centuries to his name, he requires just one more to equal the record and two to claim it outright.

Interestingly, he shares this pursuit with fellow Indians Ganguly, Dravid, and Dhawan, who each have six.

Global ODI tournament records

While merging formats can be tricky, it’s worth noting that Kohli (2,324) is just 13 runs shy of Ricky Ponting (2,336) for second place in combined runs across the World Cup and Champions Trophy.

Though Tendulkar’s 2,719 may seem out of reach, with up to five matches on the horizon, miracles can happen.

Kohli (22) also needs to notch two more fifties to surpass Tendulkar (23) for the most fifties in these tournaments.

Furthermore, six fours will elevate him (currently at 212) past Gayle and Rohit (217 each) into second place for the most boundaries in these competitions, trailing Sangakkara’s 215.

It’s intriguing that the player with the highest number of ODI centuries still lacks one in the Champions Trophy, despite an extraordinary average of 88.17. Perhaps this is the moment to change that narrative.

Should we count the two finals from the 2002 Champions Trophy as a single match, only Yuvraj Singh (2000, 2002, 2017), Brian Lara (1998, 2004, 2006), and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (1998, 2004, 2006) have played in finals of three different Champions Trophy editions.

If India reaches the final, and assuming Kohli, Rohit, and Jadeja participate, they will create history by playing in three consecutive finals.

If victorious, this trio will join the ranks of Ponting, Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, and Shane Watson as two-time Champions Trophy champions.

ALSO READ: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Venue Insights, Pitch Analysis & Key Records

Among the eight teams in the 2025 tournament, only Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, and Faheem Ashraf have the chance to claim a second title.

The 2025 Champions Trophy will begin on February 19 in Pakistan and Dubai, with India playing their first game against Bangladesh on February 20. The Men in Blue will play all their fixtures, including the knockout matches if they qualify, in Dubai.

The winners of the 2013 Champions Trophy, India are placed in Group A alongside Bangladesh, New Zealand and Pakistan.