Virat Kohli on cusp of surpassing Don Bradman’s record: Five milestones star batter can achieve in IND vs BAN Test series

Virat Kohli is set to make his Test return after eight months when India hosts Bangladesh for a two-match series starting on September 19 in Chennai. Kohli last played a Test match against South Africa in January. He opted out of the England series earlier this year citing personal reasons. 

The upcoming home series is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle and India will be eyeing  a whitewash to boost their chances of qualifying for the finals. Kohli is one of the vital cogs in the Indian batting line-up and is expected to play a key role in the series.

As his fans are eagerly waiting to see his comeback in whites, a few records are awaiting the former India captain. In this article, we look at five milestones that Kohli can achieve in the upcoming series against Bangladesh.

Also Check: IND vs BAN Test: Top 5 run-scorers for India feat Virat Kohli

Here are five milestones Virat Kohli can achieve in the series against Bangladesh

5. Break Cheteshwar Pujara’s record against Bangladesh

Veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara currently holds the record for most runs in India vs Bangladesh Tests. The right-hander, who is currently not in the Indian team's plans, tops the list with 468 runs. Kohli is sitting second on the table with 436 runs. The No. 4 batter is just 32 runs away from snatching this record from Pujara and it is likely to happen in the first Test itself.

4. Only active player to score 12000 international runs at home

Virat Kohli is just 11 runs away from scoring 12000 international runs at home. Sachin Tendulkar (14192), Ricky Ponting (13117), Jacques Kallis (12305) and Kumar Sangakkara (12043) are the other players who have achieved this milestone. Kohli can become the first and only active player to enter this elite list.

Also Check: Top 5 Indian Cricketers who have played more than 40 Tests and holds engineering degree

3. Surpass Don Bradman’s century record

Virat Kohli has so far scored 29 centuries in Test cricket. He is tied with Don Bradman, one of the greatest players of all time, in this tally. Kohli was once hitting tons for fun, but for a few years now, his ‘run-machine’ has been unable to keep pace in the longer format of the game. He has a great chance to notch up his 30th century in the upcoming series and surpass the legendary Bradman.

2. Fourth Indian to score 9000 Test runs 

Virat Kohli is close to 9000 runs in Tests. The ace cricketer has so far scored 8848 runs from 113 Test matches. He needs 152 more runs to become the fourth Indian to achieve this feat after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar. Coming after a long break, Kohli is expected to smash this record with ease.

1. Break Sachin Tendulkar’s record en route to 27000 international runs

Kohli is just 58 runs away from accumulating 27000 runs across formats. The 35-year-old has 26942 runs to his name and it came in just 591 innings. Sachin Tendulkar is the fastest player to breach the 27000-run mark - in 623 innings. Kohli has more than 30 matches left to break Sachin's record, but with short runs required, he is expected to do so in the upcoming series.