As Men in Blue prepare for the first ODI against Sri Lanka taking place on Friday, all eyes will be on star India batter Virat Kohli, who has a phenomenal record against Sri Lanka and loves playing in Colombo, where the entirety of the three-match series will take place. India’s first ODI against Sri Lanka will start on Friday at Colombo. This comes after Men in Blue’s 3-0 clean sweep win in the T20I series.
Virat loves playing against Sri Lanka. In 53 ODIs against the Lankan Lions, he has scored 2,594 runs at an average of 63.26, with 10 centuries and 12 fifties in 51 innings. His best score is 166*. In 72 international matches against SL, Virat has scored 4,018 runs at an average of 64.80, with 15 centuries and 18 fifties in 76 innings. His best score is 243. (IPL 2025: CSK Legend MS Dhoni Finally Answers Retirement Question)
Virat has a fine record in ODIs at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. In 11 matches and 10 innings, he has scored 644 runs at an average of 107.33, with four centuries and a fifty. His best score is 131. In his last five ODI innings at Colombo, the 35-year-old has scored four centuries.
Across all formats in Colombo, Virat has scored 911 runs in 16 innings at an average of 82.81, with four centuries and four fifties. His best score is 131. (Virat Kohli Gets Angry After Fan Calls Him ‘Chokli’ During Practice Session In Sri Lanka- Watch Viral Video)
In the three-match ODI series, fans will be hoping to see a lot of runs from Virat’s willow, as he is just 152 runs away from getting to his 14,000 ODI runs. In 292 ODIs, he has scored 13,848 runs at an average of 58.67 and a strike rate of over 93, with 50 centuries, the most by a player and 72 fifties. His best score is 183.
If Virat completes 14,000 runs, he will be only the third player after the Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar (18,426 runs) and Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara (14,234 runs) to get to this milestone.
On the other hand, Virat is also marching towards 27,000 international runs. In 530 international matches, he has scored 26,884 runs at an average of 53.55, with 80 centuries and 140 fifties. His best score is 254*. Just 116 more runs will help him get to this milestone.
He will become the fourth player to reach 27,000 international runs besides Tendulkar (34,357 runs), Sangakkara (28,016 runs) and Australian legend Ricky Ponting (27,483 runs).
India’s tour of Sri Lanka started on July 27 with the T20I series, with India securing a 43-run win. In the second T20I, India secured a seven-wicket victory in a rain-affected match.
Meanwhile, the Men in Blue clinched a win in the super-over in the third match. The third T20I was tied and India secured a win in a thrilling super over to clinch the series 3-0.
The R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo is getting to host the 50-over matches. The three ODIs will be held on August 2, August 4, and August 7.
