VADODARA JAN 08 : Batting legend Virat Kohli was surrounded by a massive crowd of fans upon his arrival at Vadodara airport on Wednesday ahead of the first One-Day International against New Zealand scheduled for Sunday.
The 37-year-old star batter was greeted with enthusiastic chants of ‘Kohli, Kohli’ as fans jostled for selfies and handshakes, making it difficult for him to navigate through the throng to reach his car. The scenes at the airport reflected Kohli’s enduring popularity and the excitement surrounding his return to domestic soil for the upcoming series.
Kohli recently participated in two matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, demonstrating his commitment to domestic cricket by scoring an impressive 131 against Andhra Pradesh and 77 against Gujarat. His recent performances have showcased the form that continues to make him one of cricket’s most reliable batsmen.
The batting maestro has been in exceptional form in ODIs, averaging an outstanding 146 in six matches with three centuries and fifties since recovering from two successive ducks in Australia that marked an inauspicious start to his ODI return last year.
Kohli emerged as India’s leading ODI run-getter in 2025, accumulating 651 runs in 13 matches at an impressive average of 65.10, including three centuries and four fifties. His consistent performances throughout the year cemented his status as one of the format’s premier batsmen.
During last year’s ICC Champions Trophy, Kohli achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the first-ever cricketer to score 1,000 runs across all ICC event knockouts, amassing 1,024 runs in 22 matches at an average of 51.20, with one century and nine fifties. He scored 218 runs in five matches at an average of 54.50, highlighted by an unbeaten century against Pakistan and 84 against Australia in the semifinals, earning ‘Player of the Match’ honors in both contests.
Kohli is the only player to have registered 10 fifty-plus scores in ICC knockout matches and remains the only cricketer to maintain a 50-plus average in three Champions Trophy tournaments—58.66 in 2013, 129.00 in 2017, and 54.40 in the most recent edition.
The Indian batting icon became the third batsman to complete 14,000 ODI runs and eventually climbed to become the format’s second-highest run-getter of all time, with 14,557 runs in 308 matches at an average of 58.46, including 53 centuries and 76 fifties, with a best score of 183.
Despite featuring in only one format in international cricket currently, Kohli has surpassed Australian legend Ricky Ponting’s tally of 27,483 runs to become the third-highest run-getter in international cricket history. In 556 international matches, he has amassed 27,975 runs at an average of 52.58, with 84 centuries and 145 fifties, and a best score of 254 not out.
After scoring a century against South Africa in December—a 120-ball 135 at Ranchi—Kohli registered his 52nd ODI century, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 51 Test centuries to claim the record for the most centuries by a batsman in a single format in international cricket.
The Vadodara airport scenes demonstrate that Kohli’s star power remains undiminished as he continues to rewrite cricket’s record books while preparing for the upcoming series against New Zealand.
