No Telecast, No Problem: Virat Kohli's Vijay Hazare Knocks Set Google On Fire
At 37, most batters dial it down once the international spotlight dims but Virat Kohli has done the opposite.
When the Indian selectors sit down to pick the ODI squad for the New Zealand series, at least two names write themselves in ink. Virat Kohli. Rohit Sharma. No debates. No calculations. No contingency plans. Having stepped away from Test cricket to become one-format specialists, India's two modern greats ended 2025 ranked No.1 (Rohit) and No.2 (Kohli) on the ICC ODI batting charts. The 2027 World Cup may still feel distant, but for now, Indian cricket has rare certainty: experience still delivers.
Kohli's 2025 tells a familiar yet remarkable story. Six consecutive 50-plus scores in List A cricket. A blazing 131 against Andhra, followed by a fluent 77 off 61 balls against Gujarat. The pattern hasn't changed much - burst through the Powerplay, assess the conditions, rotate strike through the middle overs, and build partnerships that quietly strangle the opposition.
The hunger, however, is striking. At 37, most batters dial it down once the international spotlight dims. Kohli has done the opposite. He finished the year with 651 ODI runs, three hundreds, four fifties, and an average of 65.10 - numbers that don't merely justify selection, they silence doubts.
Selectors today look beyond raw tallies. Concepts like 'Effective Runs' and 'Impact' now matter - how much control a batter exerts over conditions, bowlers, and pressure. By that measure, Kohli remains elite. His ability to leave dangerous deliveries, find the middle consistently, and absorb pressure gives him an edge over younger 'bashers' when conditions turn hostile.
Former coach Ravi Shastri has been clear: form, fitness, and hunger decide everything. Big series - against Australia, South Africa - are still the measuring stick. Kohli, in 2025, passed those tests and then carried that rhythm into domestic cricket, anchoring chases and lifting team belief.
There's also history ticking in the background. Already second only to Sachin Tendulkar in Indian List A runs, Kohli is edging closer to the rarefied club of 60-plus List A hundreds. When his Vijay Hazare Trophy hundred wasn't televised, fans resorted to refreshing scorecards, sending Google searches into overdrive - a reminder of his unmatched pull.
What does this mean for Team India in 2026? Stability. Leadership. A batter who still controls games rather than chasing them. As India balances youth with experience ahead of global tournaments, Kohli's presence tilts the argument toward trust in proven greatness.
In cricket, we obsess over runs and records. But Kohli's 2025 is also about courage and continuity - the refusal to fade quietly. For a generation that grew up watching him rise, this isn't nostalgia. Fans will get to witness Virat Kohli in the series vs New Zealand starting on 11th January and later in the year in England from 14th July
Virat Kohli is living history, still unfolding.
Virat Kohli