India's batting juggernaut Virat Kohli recorded a big milestone right after taking the field in first Test against New Zealand even after crashing for a duck on October 17. Kohli leapfrogged legendary MS Dhoni to become Team India's second-most capped international cricketer. Kohli reached this landmark on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Virat Kohli goes past MS Dhoni as India's second-most capped cricketer
Despite a disappointing start to the series, being dismissed for a nine-ball duck by New Zealand fast bowler William O'Rourke, Kohli's achievement marked another milestone in his illustrious career.
The Delhi-born cricketer has represented India in 536 appearances across all formats, trailing only the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli's impressive tally includes 116 Tests, 295 ODIs, and 125 T20Is.
Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most appearances in international cricket by an Indian, with 664 matches under his belt. MS Dhoni occupies the third position with 535 appearances, followed by former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid, who played 504 matches. Among active players, Rohit Sharma is the only other cricketer featured in the top ten list. The Indian skipper has represented India in 486 games across all formats. Notably, both Rohit and Virat announced their retirement from the T20I format following India's victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados.
Indian cricketers with most matches across formats
| Player | Span | Matches | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 1989-2013 | 664 | 34,357 | 201 |
| Virat Kohli | 2008-2024* | 536 | 27,041 | 9 |
| MS Dhoni | 2004-2019 | 535 | 17,092 | 1 |
| Rahul Dravid | 1996-2012 | 504 | 24,064 | 5 |
| Rohit Sharma | 2007-2024* | 486 | 19,276 | 12 |
| Mohammad Azharuddin | 1984-2000 | 433 | 15,593 | 12 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 1992-2008 | 421 | 18,433 | 132 |
| Anil Kumble | 1990-2008 | 401 | 3,409 | 953 |
| Yuvraj Singh | 2000-2017 | 399 | 11,686 | 147 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 1998-2016 | 365 | 3,545 | 707 |
Kohli embarked on his international journey in 2008, making his ODI debut against Sri Lanka, opening the batting alongside current head coach Gautam Gambhir and scoring 17 runs. He followed this up with his T20I debut in 2010 in Zimbabwe and subsequently made his Test debut against the West Indies in Kingston in 2011. The 35-year-old has established himself as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, ranking as the fourth-highest run-scorer in international cricket with 27,041 runs, including 80 centuries. As a captain, Kohli led India in 213 international matches, achieving a commendable record of 135 wins and 60 losses. Kohli is now just 53 runs away from reaching the milestone of 9,000 runs in Test cricket, a feat that would place him among the elite group of Indian batter.
India's disastrous collapse in Bengaluru
India faced a horrendous batting collapse against New Zealand on Day 2 of the first Test, being bowled out for a paltry 46 runs. India's innings lasted a mere 31.2 overs, setting an unwanted record as their third-lowest total in Test cricket history. It was also their lowest Test score at home. New Zealand's pace bowlers, led by William O'Rourke and Matt Henry, wreaked havoc on the Indian batting lineup. Veteran Tim Southee initiated the collapse, dismissing Indian captain Rohit Sharma early in the innings. India's decision to bat under overcast conditions and on a pitch that remained under covers due to rain proved costly. The Indian innings was marred by five ducks, with Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, and R Ashwin failing to score at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
