Virat Kohli at 500: The incredible numbers behind India great’s landmark match as he joins Tendulkar, Dhoni in rare club

The second Test of the West Indies vs India Test series is going to provide a landmark moment for one of the greatest legends of the sport. Virat Kohli will be booting up to represent India for the 500th time in his career, a milestone in a career that glitters with success and greatness.

It’s a remarkable achievement for Kohli, who becomes the fourth Indian and tenth player overall to reach the mark of 500 international caps. He joins the hallowed list of Sachin Tendulkar, who holds the record with 664 appearances, as well as his former captain MS Dhoni (538) and current coach Rahul Dravid (509).

While all-rounders such as Shahid Afridi, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Jacques Kallis are also present in the top 10 list, Kohli stands right at the peak with his numbers across all three formats. Combining the three versions of the game, Kohli has scored 75 centuries, sitting in second place clear of Ricky Ponting’s 71, but still behind Tendulkar’s legendary 100.

Once he takes to the field at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, he will also become the only player with an average north of 50 across all formats — a remarkable feat, considering the company he keeps amongst bonafide legends of the game.

Kohli, who has had a remarkable cricketer not only because of his quality but also his ability to adapt to what the different formats require of him, springs clear of four other cricketers who retired while in the 490s — Steve Waugh, Muttiah Muralitharan, TM Dilshan, and Inzamam ul-Haq, who fell just one match short of reaching the milestone.

Kohli has over 100 appearances in all three formats of the sport. He famously became only the second man, after Kiwi Ross Taylor, to achieve that feat in his 100th T20I last August, in the Asia Cup encounter against Pakistan.

Kohli’s 500th international cap comes on the occasion of the 100th-ever Test match between India and West Indies, friendly rivals across the decades with legends of the game glittering the team sheets on both sides of the divide. West Indies lead the race 30-23, but India’s recent quality has seen them catch up rapidly, having won every series since 2003.

The first-ever Test between the two teams was played in Delhi, a draw between John Goddard’s Windies and Lala Amarnath’s India. The teams return to Port of Spain, which hosted the first Test between the two teams on West Indian soil.

Kohli has been a run-machine throughout his Indian career, one of the most iconic and defining athletes of the 2010s in any sport. He remains a mainstay of the Indian longer format teams even at 34 years of age, and will look to hunt down 30,000 international runs before his career comes to a close.

Before that, his eyes will be set on making his 500th appearance a memorable one, by commemorating a series victory over the hosts and getting India off to the perfect start in their fresh World Test Championship cycle.