Team India’s star batter Virat Kohli will reach a major milestone on Thursday when he will become the only 10th player to reach 500 international matches. Kohli will achieve the feat in the second and final Test of the series against West Indies, and will join Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and current head coach Rahul Dravid as the fourth to play 500 games for India. Kohli had made his debut in 2008, and will likely be the only player in the history of the game to boast of an average of 50+ in 500 or more games.
Fans, though, are habituated to see Kohli scoring daddy hundreds at a more regular pace and thus, will be hoping that the batter will mark his 500th international appearance with a three-figure mark. India’s head coach Rahul Dravid, though, stated that he prefers to look beyond the stats and instead chooses to focus on Kohli’s effort and overall impact.
“I didn’t know that this is his 500th game. I am not a great one for numbers. It’s great to hear that. It’s fantastic; he’s a real inspiration to so many players within this team without a doubt and to so many boys and girls back home in India,” Dravid said during his interaction wit reporters ahead of the second Test in Port of Spain.
“His numbers and his stats speak for themselves – it’s all there in the book. For me, what’s been great to see first-hand has been the effort and the work that he puts in behind the scenes when no one is watching. That is reflected in the fact that he has been able to play 500 games,” he added.
