The world witnessed an electrifying encounter on February 23 as cricket’s fiercest rivalry played out in front of a packed stadium in Dubai. India, chasing a 241-run target set by Pakistan, showcased their dominance with a commanding six-wicket victory. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer put up a stellar show, ensuring India’s smooth path to the top of Group A. King Kohli, sealed the win in the 42nd over with a boundary, marking his 51st ODI century in the process.
During the intense battle, Kohli etched his name in history books with a diving catch to dismiss Naseem Shah. This milestone 157th catch made him India’s leading non-wicketkeeper fielder in ODIs, surpassing Mohammad Azharuddin’s record of 156 catches. He further extended his tally to 158 with another grab, dismissing Khushdil. Kohli now ranks third on the all-time list for most ODI catches, trailing only Mahela Jayawardene (218) and Ricky Ponting (160).
The batting maestro also achieved another historic feat, becoming the fastest player to reach 14,000 runs in ODIs. Kohli reached this landmark in just 287 innings, breaking the previous record held by Sachin Tendulkar, who achieved it in 350 innings. With this, he became only the third batter to cross the 14,000-run mark, following Tendulkar and Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara.
With 27,503 international runs to his name, Kohli now stands third among the highest run-scorers in cricket history, surpassing Ricky Ponting. Only Tendulkar and Sangakkara remain ahead of him, with Kohli poised to overtake the latter’s 14,234 ODI runs soon. Furthermore, he holds the record for the most centuries in ODIs, having surpassed Tendulkar’s tally of 49 during the 2023 ODI World Cup. As Kohli continues to rewrite history, his legacy as one of the greatest cricketers ever remains undisputed.
