Who are the three Indians other than Virat Kohli to play 500 international matches?ย
Playing one international game for your country is no mean feat, and Virat Kohli has done the remarkable, as he is currently playing his 500th international match for India.
The ongoing second Test between India and the West Indies, which is being played at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad, marks Kohli's landmark match in international cricket.
India's score after the stumps on Day 1 read at 288/4, with Kohli being unbeaten at 87. Despite already being one of the all-time greats, Kohli's hunger for runs has not been satisfied.
Since his debut in 2008, Kohli has scored a total of 25,548 runs across his 500 matches. He could add more runs to his tally on Day 2 of the ongoing Test against the West Indies.
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Virat Kohli plays his 500th international match today ๐ฅ
What an achievement! ๐คฉ
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Overall, Kohli has now become only the 10th cricketer to play in 500 international matches. With his 87*-run knock, he has also become the first-ever player to score a half-century in his 500th game.
Having said that, he is not the first Indian to play over 500 international games. As Kohli celebrates completing 500 international matches, we take a look at all the other Indian players to play 500 matches for the country.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar - 664 matches
Considered the 'God of Cricket', Sachin Tendulkar has played the most number of international matches in the history of cricket. The 'Little Master' played as many as 664 international games for India and carried the nation on his shoulders for over two decades.
Tendulkar's 34,357 runs are the most any batter has scored in international cricket history. As far as centuries are concerned, the Mumbai-born hit 100 of those, 51 in Tests and 49 in one-day internationals.
Kohli, who himself has been an ardent fan of Tendulkar, was considered an understudy of the former legend himself. The two also played together from 2008 to 2013 before Tendulkar called time on his career.
#2 MS Dhoni - 538 matches
From one legendary figure to another, MS Dhoni is another pillar of Indian cricket, having served the nation for over 15 years. Dhoni played 535 matches for India and three games for Asia XI in 2007, which took his total of international matches to 538.
Leading his troops to three ICC titles, Dhoni is arguably the most influential captain in Indian cricket history. Apart from the astute and shrewd head on his shoulders, Dhoni's batting ability made him even more dangerous and special.
2008 or 2023 ๐ค
Which one is your favourite India XI? ๐๐ฎ๐ณ
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Spending most of his time batting lower down the order, Dhoni mustered 17,266 runs at an average of 44.96 and at a strike rate of just under 80 in his international career.
While Tendulkar's record of 664 matches looks bleak for Kohli to surpass, the Delhi lad can certainly overtake Dhoni on the list.
#3 Rahul Dravid - 509 matches
The current head coach of India's men's cricket team Rahul Dravid is the third player on the list. Nicknamed the 'Wall of Cricket' for his dogged and airtight technique, Dravid played a total of 509 international matches - 504 for India and one each for ICC World XI and Asia XI.
Virat Kohli joins an elite group of players to play 5๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ0๏ธโฃ international matches ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ณ
Will break Sachin Tendulkarโs record? ๐ค
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Dravid has mustered over 24,200 runs in international matches, including 146 half-centuries and 48 hundreds. A perfect combination of composure, class and technique, he has undoubtedly defined an entire era of Indian cricket.
Dravid, who is currently with Kohli, also waxed lyrical about his player on the eve of the second Test against the West Indies. The current Indian team head coach praised Kohli for becoming an 'inspiration' for everyone in the Indian team and for the entire country.