Kohli breaks Azharuddin's 28-year record for most ODIs against West Indies

The first match of the ODI series between India and West Indies is being played today, and Virat Kohli set a new record as soon as he took the field. In the match at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kohli broke former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin's 28-year-old record. Kohli is now the player with the most ODI appearances for India against West Indies.

The match being played on September 27 is Kohli's 44th ODI against West Indies. The record was previously held by Azharuddin, who played 43 ODIs against West Indies. Kapil Dev is third on the list of most ODI appearances for India against West Indies with 42 matches, and Rahul Dravid is fourth with 40 matches. Former India captain MS Dhoni is fifth with 39 matches, and Sachin Tendulkar has also played 39 ODIs against West Indies.

The overall record for most ODIs played between the two countries belongs to former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who played a total of 46 ODIs against India between 1994 and 2009. If Kohli plays all three matches of the current series, he will equal Chanderpaul's record. Among those with the most ODI appearances against West Indies, former Pakistan captains Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram are jointly at the top, having each played 64 ODIs against the Caribbean side.

For Kohli, this match is not just about records; he also has a chance to make history with the bat. Kohli has scored nine ODI centuries against West Indies so far. If he scores a century in this match, he will become the first player to score 10 ODI centuries against this team. Kohli is also just 59 runs away from completing 15,000 ODI runs. He has scored 14,941 runs in 314 ODI matches so far. If he scores 59 runs in this match, he will become the second batter in the world, after Sachin Tendulkar, to complete 15,000 ODI runs. So far only Sachin Tendulkar has reached this milestone.