Kohli’s unbeaten 139 breaks records as India take 1-0 lead over West Indies
Virat Kohli turned a demanding chase into a comfortable victory on September 27, finishing unbeaten on 139 from 88 balls as India beat West Indies by eight wickets in the first One Day International in Thiruvananthapuram. India reached 300 for two in 41.4 overs after the visitors had made 295 for seven, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The innings combined a familiar Kohli strength—batting through a chase—with unusually heavy six-hitting. He struck nine sixes, his most in an ODI innings, and ended the match with one. His century was his 55th in ODIs, extending his record for the most hundreds in the format.
How India took control
West Indies had given themselves a substantial total to defend. John Campbell and Justin Greaves put on 135 for the opening wicket, with Campbell making 62 and Greaves going on to score 101, his first ODI century. Amir Jangoo added an unbeaten 58 from 43 balls late in the innings. Kuldeep Yadav’s four wickets for 40 runs were central to India’s response, preventing the strong start from becoming an even larger total.
India began its chase briskly before Rohit Sharma was dismissed in the 12th over. Kohli joined captain Shubman Gill, and their 151-run partnership shifted the balance firmly toward the hosts. Gill made 110 from 108 balls, his 10th ODI hundred. By the time he was out, India had two established innings behind its pursuit and the required runs were within reach.
Kohli accelerated while staying at the crease. He reached his hundred from 74 balls and added another 39 runs from his final 14 deliveries. Ruturaj Gaikwad remained unbeaten on 13 at the other end as India passed the target with 50 balls unused. A total that had looked competitive at the interval was overhauled with more than eight overs remaining.
The records behind the hundred
Kohli crossed 15,000 ODI runs during the chase, becoming only the second batter to reach that mark after Sachin Tendulkar. He reached it faster than any previous player. The milestone adds to his existing record for ODI centuries, which now stands at 55.
This was also Kohli’s 10th ODI hundred against West Indies. That equals his tally of 10 against Sri Lanka: the joint-highest number of ODI centuries by a batter against a single opponent. The nine sixes marked a personal ODI best, giving this innings a distinctive shape alongside the career milestones.
Those figures describe different achievements. The 15,000-run mark measures Kohli’s career accumulation; the 55 centuries are his ODI career total; and the 10 hundreds against West Indies measure his record against one team. None changes the immediate series equation as much as the win itself.
What the result means for the series
India need one more victory to secure the three-match contest. The second ODI is scheduled for September 30 in Guwahati, where West Indies must win to keep the series alive. India’s margin in the opener gives the hosts a strong start, but it does not decide the series.
For West Indies, the opening partnership and Greaves’s century showed they could build a challenging innings. The task now is to turn that batting platform into a result, particularly by finding a way to take wickets during India’s chase. For India, Kuldeep’s spell, Gill’s hundred and Kohli’s unbeaten finish made the first match a collective win as well as a record-filled individual performance.
