5 iconic milestones Virat Kohli could achieve in 2026

Virat Kohli’s first assignment in 2026 will be the ODI series against New Zealand.

Indian Cricket Team star batter Virat Kohli had a memorable year in 2025. The right-handed batsman announced retirement from test cricket in May, finishing as India‘s fourth-highest run-scorer in the longest format of the game.

Even after retiring from Test cricket, he maintained his dominance in One Day Internationals, scoring two centuries and a half-century in the three-match series against South Africa and winning the Player of the Series award.

Even in domestic cricket, Kohli tasted immense success last year. His long-awaited dream of winning an IPL title was finally fulfilled in the 2025 edition, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won their maiden trophy by defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final.

Kohli also rocked the field in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, smacking a century and a half-century in Delhi’s first two games. With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 in focus, Virat will aim to perform well in 2026 as well.

The batting legend is on the verge of some iconic milestones in his career, which he can capture in 2026. On that note, below are five milestones Virat Kohli could achieve in 2026.

5. 15,000 runs in ODI cricket

With 14,557 runs in 308 games, Kohli is the second-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket. He needs just 443 more runs to reach the mark of 15,000 ODI runs, becoming the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to reach the mark.

With 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs, Tendulkar is the highest run-scorer in the 50-over format. The ICC Cricket World Cup is scheduled for next year, which is why India will play more ODI matches in 2026. This will provide Kohli plenty of opportunities to achieve this milestone.

4. 150 half-centuries in international cricket

Kohli is on the verge of 150 half-centuries in international cricket. Currently, he has 145 half-centuries (excluding centuries) in his kitty across formats, and needs five more to reach the mark.

Sachin Tendulkar (164) and Kumar Sangakkara (153) are the only two batters with more than 150 half-centuries in international cricket.

3. 2nd-highest run-scorer in international cricket

With 27,975 runs across 556 games across tests, ODIs, and T20Is, Kohli is the all-time third-highest run-scorer in international cricket. He needs just 42 more runs to overtake Kumar Sangakkara (28,016) in the list. He can achieve this record in the ODI series against New Zealand in January.

2. 9000 runs in IPL

The 37-year-old is the highest run-getter in IPL history, with 8661 runs in 267 games. He requires only 339 more runs to become the first-ever batter to score 9000 runs in IPL.

The RCB opener mustered 657 runs in 15 games in the previous season, and can easily reach the milestone if he replicates his performance in IPL 2026.

1. 300 sixes in IPL

Kohli is also on the verge of becoming the third-ever batsman to smash 300 sixes in IPL history. As of now, he has hit 291 sixes in the tournament and needs nine more sixes to capture the feat. Chris Gayle (357) and Rohit Sharma (302) are the only two batters with more than 300 sixes in the tournament.

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