Team India, along with Virat Kohli, have been involved in several ODI series deciders over the years, a trend that has become more common lately due to bilateral ODI series being trimmed to three matches amid a packed international schedule. The Men in Blue are heading into another decider after New Zealand bounced back with a commanding victory in the second ODI in Rajkot, setting up a must-win encounter.
The third and final match of the series will be played on Sunday, January 18, at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. With the series at stake, expectations from Virat Kohli will naturally be higher than usual. The star batter is in fine form and had masterminded India’s successful chase in the series opener with a brilliant 93.
Well accustomed to pressure situations, Kohli will undoubtedly be one of the key players to watch as India aim to avoid a series defeat at home. With that in mind, here’s a look at Virat Kohli’s ODI series decider record since his debut.
#3 Overall numbers
Since his debut, Virat Kohli has featured in 15 bilateral ODI series deciders, accumulating a remarkable 660 runs at a strong average. He has scored fifty or more on seven occasions and remained not out once. Kohli’s first appearance in an ODI series decider came during India’s 2011 tour of South Africa, just before the 2011 ODI World Cup.
His latest outing in such a match was also against South Africa in the recently concluded three-match home series in late 2025.
#2 From 2011-2019
Virat Kohli had a slow start in ODI series deciders. He managed just two runs in his debut outing in Johannesburg, followed by a duck in the high-profile 2013 series decider against Australia in Bengaluru. In fact, he scored only 28 runs across his first four ODI series deciders before turning things around.
In his next four matches under similar do-or-die situations, Kohli amassed 295 runs, including his lone century. His only century in an ODI series decider came in the third ODI against New Zealand at Green Park, Kanpur, in 2017. His brilliant innings helped India post 338 in the first innings, and the hosts went on to secure a narrow six-run victory to win the series 2-1.
#1 From 2020-2025
Since the beginning of the new decade, Kohli has featured in five ODI series deciders, showing a significant improvement in form, reflected in a much higher average. In these five matches, he has recorded three fifties, including an unbeaten effort in the third ODI against South Africa in Vizag.
Out of these five outings since 2020, Kohli has been on the losing side just once. His fifty in the third ODI of the 2023 home series against Australia proved in vain, as India lost by 21 runs and consequently conceded the series.
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