Virat Kohli in 1st IND vs WI ODI. [Source - AP]There are milestones, and then there are summits that only the immortals of the game can scale. On the sacred soil of God’s Own Country, Virat Kohli conquered another colossal frontier in ODI cricket.The former India captain brought up 15,000 ODI runs during the first ODI against West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram, adding another extraordinary chapter to a career already overflowing with records, triumphs and unforgettable nights.Under the Kerala skies, Kohli once again showed why numbers alone cannot adequately describe his influence on the 50-over format. Reaching 15,000 ODI runs is not simply a statistical landmark, but also a testament to extraordinary longevity.Only one batter had previously crossed this monumental feat. Sachin Tendulkar was the first to achieve 15,000 ODI runs, meaning Virat Kohli has now entered an extraordinarily exclusive club reserved for two of the greatest ODI run-scorers cricket has ever witnessed.The King Climbs Another Monumental SummitKohli’s journey to 15,000 ODI runs has been built through an astonishing combination of consistency, hunger and an almost relentless pursuit of excellence.From his early years as India’s prodigious run-machine to becoming the cornerstone of countless successful chases, Kohli has transformed the art of ODI batting through his remarkable ability to accumulate runs under pressure.Considering the amount of cricket one needs to play to reach such a staggering number. Thousands of runs have arrived across different eras, opponents, conditions and generations, yet Kohli has remained a constant presence.His numbers tell one story, but the manner in which those runs have shaped Indian cricket tells another. Kohli became synonymous with intensity, precision and the expectation that every innings could become something extraordinary.From Run-Machine to Immortal ODI GreatKohli’s ODI career has been full of towering achievements, including his record haul of centuries and numerous match-winning performances for India.Yet 15,000 runs occupy a different magnitude because the landmark measures not one brilliant season or one dominant tournament, but an entire age of sustained excellence.Also Read: "Once-In-A-Lifetime Player": Fans Goes Berserk As Virat Kohli Unleashes Beast ModeThe milestone also places Kohli alongside Tendulkar in a statistical realm that illustrates the extraordinary scale of their dominance. Both have carried India’s batting through vastly different phases of the international game.For Kohli, reaching the mark in Thiruvananthapuram adds another picturesque setting to an already magnificent ODI story. The city witnessed history as the modern-day master added another record to his remarkable legacy.Thiruvananthapuram Witnesses Another Kohli MasterclassThere is something fitting about Kohli reaching 15,000 ODI runs in Kerala, a state affectionately known as God’s Own Country. Yet he made the occasion grander, raising his 55th ODI century while chasing 296.Kohli needed only 74 deliveries to reach three figures, revealing a noticeable freedom in his strokeplay. He pierced gaps, cleared the ropes and attacked the bowling without ever appearing to lose command of the chase.At this stage of his career, that fluency shows a different side of his batting. The familiar precision is still there, but there is now a noticeable lightness in the way he builds his innings.As the applause reverberated around the Greenfield International Stadium, Kohli showed that experience can coexist with freedom. The chase provided the canvas, and he painted it with the strokes of a batter seemingly unburdened by the weight of his own legacy.On the sacred soil of God’s Own Country, the King conquered another colossus. 15,000 ODI runs, his 55th ODI century and his 86th international hundred now stand as three milestones in a career that continues to find new dimensions.Also Read: Shubman Gill Brings Up 10th ODI Century; List Of All Records Broken In IND vs WI 1st ODI
