Virat Kohli breaks records of AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar after India win in Visakhapatnam
Team India batting Virat Kohli broke several records and surpassed milestones held by MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers during the third ODI against South Africa in Visakhapatnam on Saturday (December 6). The right-handed batter silenced the critics by scoring his fourth consecutive half-century in the 50-over format.
India elected to bowl first after winning the toss and restricting South Africa to 271 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma added a 155-run stand for the opening wicket. The match was already in India’s control when Kohli came onto the field. He scored 65 off 46 balls and the hosts ended the chase with 61 balls remaining.
Virat Kohli gets player of the series after dominating with the bat
Virat Kohli won the player of the series award after finishing as the top run-getter. The right-handed hitter scored 302 runs at an average of 151 and a strike rate of 117.05. He began with two centuries (135 and 102) and ended the series with half a century.
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Kohli also finished 2025 as India’s top ODI run-scorer of the year, beating Rohit Sharma by a single run. His 302 runs are the highest in any ODI series of three matches or less. Previously, he scored 293 runs against Sri Lanka in 2023, where he also made two centuries.
Kohli hit 12 sixes in this series, the most he has ever hit in a single ODI series or tournament. He had previously smashed nine sixes against Sri Lanka in 2023 and in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Virat Kohli breaks AB de Villiers’ record; Goes beyond MS Dhoni
The 37-year-old batter became the only player to score more than 600 ODI runs at a single venue with an average of over 100. He scored 652 runs in eight matches on the field, including three centuries and three fifties, at an incredible average of 108.66.
Best average on a site (minimum 600 races):
| Player | Ground | Works | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | visakhapatnam | 652 | 108.66 |
| AB de Villiers | Johannesburg | 732 | 91.50 |
| Ross Taylor | Napier | 779 | 86.55 |
Kohli completed a year for the sixth time with over 500 ODI runs at an average above 60. He overtook MS Dhoni, who had achieved the feat five times. Only AB de Villiers and Michael Bevan have done it four times each.
Most years of operation over 600 years with an average of 60+:
| Player | Times | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 6 | 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2025 |
| MS Dhoni | 5 | 2009, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019 |
| AB de Villiers | 4 | 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015 |
| Michael Bevan | 4 | 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 |
Virat Kohli extends his lead as the series’ longest-player in international cricket
Virat Kohli added another major milestone to his career by winning another player of the series award, taking his tally to 22 across formats. He has won 19 awards in bilateral series as well as Player of the Tournament titles in the 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cups and the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Kohli is now the player with the most POTS/POTT awards in international cricket, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 20. In ODIs, Kohli has won 12 Player of the Series awards, while Tendulkar still tops the list with 15.
He also continued his strong form by recording four consecutive ODI half-centuries for the ninth time in his career and no other player has done it more than four times.
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