Virat Kohli added another major milestone in his long ODI career on the first day of India's first ODI against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram. The former India captain became the second Indian batsman after Sachin Tendulkar to make 15,000 runs in ODI cricket and his achievement made former West Indies pacer and JioStar expert Ian Bishop reflect on the length of his career.
Kohli had reached the landmark in India’s chase of 296 in the series opener. He remained unbeaten on 139 off 88 balls to help India to an eight-wicket victory and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.
Bishop said the full significance of Kohli’s career might only be clear once the batsman had finished playing international cricket. “I don’t think we will fully appreciate it until some time after he’s done his playing days,” he said.
Bishop also noted that Kohli achieved the 15,000-run mark at a quicker rate than Tendulkar. The former West Indies international said Kohli achieved the record in fewer innings, and that is consistent with his ODI career.
Ian Bishop Pitches Virat Kohli’s consistency.
A lot of that too was highlighted by Bishop in Kohli’s great performance in the game that he is consistently getting runs and handling ODI run chases. The Indian batsman is known for his ability to calculate the numbers and keep control of the match of a chase at all times.
Bishop said Kohli’s appetite for runs and his understanding of how to pace an innings have been key to his success in the format. Kohli’s performance on the day was also another example of that when he made his 55th ODI century and remained unbeaten until India finished the chase.
India had set a target of 296 after West Indies scored 295/7. The visitors put India under pressure first when Justin Greaves and John Campbell took 135 runs for the opening wicket. Kuldeep Yadav made India regain the upper hand with a four-wicket spell and then the Indian batsmen completed the chase.
Moment for the history books 📖
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 27, 2026
The magical feeling of scaling Mt. 1⃣5⃣0⃣0⃣0⃣ ODI runs, ft. Virat Kohli 🏔️
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/O2cs86p4gq#TeamIndia | #INDvWI | @mflone_ | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/sbqA6KtBsr
Bishop Shows Kohli’s Ability To Evolve
Bishop also highlighted Kohli’s evolving game as white-ball cricket evolved. Former cricketer Ian Bishop said players should continue to develop their attacking game rather than get too comfortable with a well established approach.
Bishop points out that Kohli’s career demonstrates the need to adapt to changes in limited overs cricket— particularly with the growth of T20 cricket and the increasing emphasis on attacking batting.
The comments came as Kohli delivered one of his most dominant ODI performances. His 139 came from 88 deliveries and included a mix of controlled strokeplay and aggressive scoring as India moved quickly towards the target.
Varun Aaron praises Kuldeep Yadav.
JioStar expert Varun Aaron also praised Kuldeep Yadav for his impact on India's victory, and the Indian spinner made it a big deal as he said that despite that. Kuldeep finished with 4/40 from 10 overs and was named Player of the match.
Kuldeep’s spell was particularly important when West Indies had established a strong opening partnership. His wickets helped keep the hosts from converting their promising start into a much larger total.
Aaron described Kuldeep as a wicket-taker and match-winner and the opportunities he has got in the last few years. His performance in Thiruvananthapuram is yet again a proof of how important he is for India's bowling attack in the ODI format.
Rohit Sharma And Shubman Gill Also Make Impact
Bishop also praised India's start during the chase. Rohit Sharma played an aggressive innings of 32 before being dismissed by Alzarri Joseph, giving India momentum in the early overs.
Shubman Gill then continued the attack with a century, scoring 110, before Kohli took charge of the chase. Gill’s century and Kohli’s 139 helped India achieve the target in 41.4 overs.
The result made India 1-0 ahead in the three-match ODI series with the West Indies. The second ODI is scheduled for September 30 in Guwahati and the Indian team will want to build on its initial success.
