Thiruvananthapuram witnessed a memorable night of Indian cricket as Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill produced centuries to guide India to a comfortable eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in the first ODI on Sunday.
Chasing 296 at the Greenfield International Stadium, India reached 300 for two in just 41.4 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. The victory was built around an aggressive batting display after Kuldeep Yadav had earlier restricted the West Indies with a four-wicket haul.
Kohli was the star of the chase, finishing unbeaten on 139 from 88 balls. His innings included 10 fours and nine sixes, with the nine maximums marking his highest tally of sixes in an ODI innings. His 55th ODI century also moved him closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s record for international hundreds.
The bigger moment came before Kohli reached three figures. With a boundary off Alzarri Joseph, the India batter crossed 15,000 ODI runs, becoming only the second men’s batter after Tendulkar to reach the landmark.
Kohli achieved the feat in 303 innings, making him the fastest batter to reach 15,000 runs in men’s ODI cricket. Tendulkar had taken 377 innings to reach the same mark. Kohli has now been the fastest to every 1,000-run milestone from 8,000 through 15,000 ODI runs.
The record was followed by another dominant batting display. Kohli found the boundary almost at will, while Gill provided the stability at the other end.
Gill, leading India in the ODI format, scored 110 from 108 balls for his 10th ODI century. The captain had been given an early reprieve after being dropped, but made the most of the opportunity and steadily took control of the chase.
Together, Gill and Kohli added 151 runs, turning what could have been a testing chase into a one-sided contest. Rohit Sharma had earlier provided a quick start with 32 from 35 balls before being dismissed by Alzarri Joseph.
The Indian batting effort came after a disciplined bowling performance. West Indies made a strong start after being asked to bat first, with Justin Greaves and John Campbell putting together a 135-run opening partnership.
Campbell scored 62 from 60 balls, while Greaves went on to make a century. The visitors appeared well placed after their strong opening stand, but India’s spinners changed the momentum.
Kuldeep Yadav produced the key breakthrough and finished with four wickets for 40 runs. His spell disrupted the West Indies middle order and helped India restrict the visitors to 295 for seven.
The West Indies had enough runs to test India, but the home side’s response was emphatic. Rohit gave the chase early momentum before Gill and Kohli took charge. Once the pair settled in, the required run rate was no longer a concern.
Kohli’s performance also added another significant chapter to his long ODI career. At 37, he has now crossed 15,000 runs in the format and remains a central figure in India’s plans in the 50-over game.
The Thiruvananthapuram crowd saw several milestones in one evening, Kohli’s 15,000 ODI runs, his 55th ODI hundred, Gill’s 10th century and Kuldeep’s four-wicket haul.
India’s eight-wicket win gives Gill’s side an early advantage in the three-match series. The focus now shifts to the next ODI, with the West Indies needing a stronger response with both bat and ball.
For India, the opening match offered plenty of encouragement: a match-winning spell from Kuldeep, another century from Gill and a record-setting innings from Kohli.
The result also provided a glimpse of India’s preparations in the ODI format, with the 2027 World Cup now forming an important backdrop to the team’s long-term plans.
