The countdown for India’s much-anticipated tour of Australia has officially begun. BCCI has announced Team India’s squads for the ODI and T20I series.

In a notable move, Rohit Sharma has been rested from the ODI captaincy, with Shubman Gill named as his replacement. The good news for fans - Virat Kohli is back in the ODI setup.

Cricket lovers will be eager to see if “King Kohli” can continue his sublime form from Champions Trophy 2025 on Australian soil. The star batter also has a golden chance to etch another record in history books.

India batting legend Virat Kohli is just 54 runs away from surpassing Kumar Sangakkara’s monumental tally in ODI cricket.

Kohli Nears Historic ODI Feat

Virat Kohli currently occupies the third spot on the list of highest run-scorers in ODI cricket.

So far, he has amassed 14,181 runs in 302 matches (290 innings). Only Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara are ahead of him. Sangakkara stands second with 14,234 runs, while Tendulkar remains at the top with a record-breaking 18,426 runs.

If Virat Kohli manages to score 54 or more runs during the upcoming ODI series, he will move past Sangakkara to claim the second spot on the all-time list. Notably, Kohli already holds the record for the most centuries in ODIs, having gone past Tendulkar in that category.

The Australian tour marks Virat Kohli’s return to international cricket after nearly seven months. His last appearance came during the Champions Trophy 2025, where he scored 218 runs in five matches at an average of 54.

Having retired from T20Is and Test cricket, Kohli will now focus solely on the ODI format - and what better place to make a statement than Australia, a country where he has always excelled.

In 29 ODIs played in Australia, the Indian legend has scored 1,327 runs at an average of 51, including five centuries and six fifties.

As India-Australia series draws near, fans are excited to see if Virat Kohli can once again rise to the occasion and create history by overtaking another legend in the record books.