Virat Kohli equals Shahid Afridi's record in India-Pakistan clash

DUBAI: Star batter Virat Kohli etched his name in the record books on Sunday during the high-octane clash between India and Pakistan in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025.

Kohli, who registered his 74th ODI fifty against Pakistan, also recorded his sixth half-century in the prestigious fifty-over format against Pakistan.

With this milestone, he equalled the record held by former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and Indian legends Sunil Gavaskar and Navjot Singh Sidhu, all of whom have six half-centuries to their names in India-Pakistan ODIs.

The Indian duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid lead the charts with the most fifties in India-Pakistan encounters, having scored 21 and 16, respectively. 

From Pakistan, legendary batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq and veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik also feature prominently on the list, with 16 and 15 half-centuries, respectively.

This is not the only record that the former Indian captain achieved, as he recently added another feather to his cap by becoming the fastest batter to score 14,000 ODI runs. 

The right-handed batter reached the milestone during India’s blockbuster ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 clash against arch-rivals and hosts Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Kohli, who made his ODI debut in 2008, became only the third batter in the history of the format to achieve the milestone, joining the likes of compatriot Sachin Tendulkar and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara. 

Notably, the 36-year-old is the fastest to achieve the landmark, reaching the feat in just 287 innings—63 fewer than Tendulkar.

Virat Kohli also holds the record for being the fastest batter to reach 8,000, 9,000, 10,000, 11,000, 12,000, and 13,000 ODI runs, further underlining his remarkable consistency in the format.