Image: Has the ICC marked Virat Kohli as the Greatest of all time? / © ESPNcricinfo
Over the last decade, cricket has been continuously played across all three formats, whether it is Test, ODI or T20I. Players have dominated one format, but failed to dominate equally across the others, putting their spot at the top of the ICC rankings for just one format of the game.
However, there has been one player who has held the top spot across all three formats of the game, and it is none other than the King, Virat Kohli. This is not being said verbally anymore, as the recent ICC rankings showcased the number of days being held by Virat Kohli at the number one spot, across all three formats of the game.
Not only has he become a player to hold the top spot across all three formats of the game, but he also holds the ratings of 900+ points across all formats. This makes Virat Kohli the only player to have more than 900 ratings in all formats of cricket.
| Format | Days |
|---|---|
| ODIs | 1550 |
| T20Is | 1202 |
| Tests | 469 |
| Total | 3221 |
A stat also reveals that 59 players have achieved 900+ ratings in one format, 7 players have achieved 900+ ratings in two formats, and there is only one with 900+ ratings across all three formats, and it is Virat Kohli. Let’s take a look at how the King has dominated across all three formats of the game.
Making his debut for the Indian team in the White jersey in 2011, Virat Kohli started just like other players. But who knew he would end up as one of the finest Test batsmen for the Indian cricket team in the current generation, breaking records of legendary Indian stars?
In his career, Virat Kohli has played 123 Test matches and scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.85. Although his average has dropped over the past few years, he was once the toughest batsman to face in the Test format, scoring centuries across every country where he went to play.
For this reason, Virat Kohli has ended his Test career with 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. His dominance against Australia remains unmatched in the current era, as Kohli has scored 9 centuries in the Test format against Australia alone. In home tests, Virat Kohli has scored 4336 runs in 55 matches at an average of 55.58.
On the other hand, in the away Tests, he has scored 4774 runs in 66 matches at an average of 41.51, including 16 centuries and 18 half-centuries. Virat Kohli had been the Test player even in the modern era of limited-overs cricket, and he surely did dominate this format, holding the top spot in the ICC rankings for 469 days.
His best phase was when he took up the captaincy of the Indian cricket team in 2014, during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Although his captaincy didn’t start well for the Indian cricket team, his intent was clear: not only to win in India but also to dominate in the overseas Test matches.
Under his captaincy, the Indian team secured 40 Test wins in 68 matches, making him the most successful Test captain for the Indian line-up. The winning percentage of the Indian cricket team remained high under his captaincy, as the team held a win-loss ratio of 2.35. This is much higher than the other captains who have led the Indian cricket team in this format.
The year 2018 was considered the toughest to bat on by various cricketing agencies such as ESPNcricinfo, but it was not for Virat Kohli. In the Test format, he ended up playing 13 matches and scored 1322 runs at an average of 55.08, with 5 centuries and 5 half-centuries. Even the years which were tough to bat for all the batsmen came in as the best for Virat Kohli.
From 2014 to 2019, he ended up scoring 22 centuries in the Test format alone, marking it as his prime period, where he also led the Indian cricket team from the front. Whether it was scoring centuries in Australia in both innings or leading the team from the front in England, King Kohli did it all with his impressive batting skills.
Since 2020, Virat Kohli has suffered a downward spiral in his Test form, which has resulted in his average dropping below 50. Taking a look at his form and age factor, he went on to announce his retirement from the Test format ahead of the England tour.
If there is one format which Virat Kohli has ruled to an extent where no player could come close to him, it is the ODI format. He has not just been the generational star of the ODI format; he surely has been the greatest of all time in the game. Kohli has also been a part of the Indian team winning the World Cup 2011, the Champions Trophy 2013 & 2025.
In the ODI format alone, he has scored 14181 runs in 302 matches at an average of 57.88, with 51 centuries and 74 half-centuries. During the 2023 World Cup semi-final match against New Zealand, he ended up breaking the record of Sachin Tendulkar for most centuries in the ODI format, when he reached 50 centuries.
Virat Kohli also holds an outstanding number of 11 Player of the Series awards in his ODI career, as he stands just behind Sachin Tendulkar, who holds 15 awards in 108 series. From 8000 to 14000, Virat Kohli also holds the record of scoring the fastest to such a landmark, with no player reaching near to him in this case.
In the World Cup, he has been a remarkable player for the Indian team, scoring 1795 runs in 37 matches at an average of 59.83, with 5 centuries and 12 half-centuries. He also holds the record for the most runs in a single World Cup edition, breaking the record of Sachin Tendulkar, with 765 runs in 11 matches at an average of 95.62.
Even in the ICC Champions Trophy, Virat Kohli has been a part of the Indian line-up, winning the title in 2013 and 2025. Under his captaincy, India also reached the finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy, but ended up losing to Pakistan. In the Champions Trophy 2025, Virat Kohli was able to overtake Shikhar Dhawan for most runs in the Champions Trophy overall, as he now holds 747 runs in 18 matches at an average of 74.70, with one century and 6 half-centuries.
Once again, the year 2018, which was declared as the toughest year to bat, came to be the best for Virat Kohli in the ODI format. He ended up scoring 1202 runs in 14 matches at an average of 133.55, with 6 centuries and 3 half-centuries. Kohli has scored 6 centuries each in the years 2017, 2018, and 2023, respectively.
When it comes to the teams, Virat Kohli also holds the record of most centuries against a single nation, scoring 10 centuries in the ODI format against Sri Lanka. He competes with himself in this list, as he has also scored 8 centuries against Australia and 9 centuries against the West Indies.
In the T20I format also, the King has reigned for several years, since his debut in this format in 2010. He announced his retirement after scoring a magnificent half-century in the T20 World Cup 2024 finals, ending his career with 4188 runs in 125 matches at an average of 48.69, with one century and 38 half-centuries.
Australia seems to be his favourite opponent even in this format, as Virat Kohli has scored 794 runs in 23 matches against Australia at an average of 49.62, with 8 half-centuries. Following this, he has also scored 5 half-centuries each against Pakistan and England. His best T20I innings have surely been against Pakistan, when he scored 82 runs in the T20 World Cup 2022 match.
Virat Kohli has also ruled in the T20I matches he played away from India. In Australia, he has played 17 matches and scored 747 runs at an average of 74.70, with 9 half-centuries. At neutral venues, his stats have been outstanding, scoring 1406 runs in 40 matches at an average of 54.07, with one century and 14 half-centuries.
For the T20I format, the year 2016 has turned out to be his best, as every bowler across the world couldn’t tackle him. As a result, he ended up scoring 641 runs in 13 innings at an average of 106.83, with 7 half-centuries. He also played a crucial role for India in the 2016 T20 World Cup, being the lone performer for the team throughout the tournament.
The reason why he is called the chase master can be known by his stats in the second innings in the T20 format. Virat Kohli has scored 2013 runs in 54 matches at an average of 67.10, with 20 half-centuries. Staying on the crease for a long time has surely helped the Indian team to win matches which were long gone.
In the T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli has played a total of 35 matches and scored 1292 runs at an average of 58.72, with 15 half-centuries. These stats show why he has been the King, not only in one but across all formats of the game. He also holds the record for most runs in a T20 World Cup edition, scoring 319 in the 2014 edition, and most Player of the Match awards, with 8 POTM to his name.
Virat Kohli’s ICC rankings have been recently updated, which helped him to cross the 900 mark even in the T20I format. This makes Kohli the only player in the history of cricket to reach 900+ rating points across all formats of the game.