Virat Kohli owns best average in Champions Trophy history: Stats
What's the story
Indian cricket star, Virat Kohli, is among the players to watch out for in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
This will be his fourth CT campaign, having previously featured in the 2009, 2013, and 2017 editions.
While Kohli was a part of India's 2013 winning squad, the Men in Blue finished as runners-up under his leadership in 2017.
Here we decode his records in the championship.
Track record
Kohli's impressive Champions Trophy performance
Across his ICC Champions Trophy career, Kohli has played 13 matches and scored 529 runs in 12 innings, as per ESPNcricinfo.
His highest score is an unbeaten 96, with a phenomenal batting average of 88.16.
He has scored five half-centuries, which speaks volumes about his ability to perform at big stages.
Kohli is fourth in terms of Indian batters with the most CT runs.
Information
Do you know?
Kohli's average of 88.16 is the best among batters with at least 400 runs in the tourney. His compatriots Sourav Ganguly (73.88 ) and Shikhar Dhawan (77.88) trail him in this regard. No other batter has a 65-plus average in this list.
Feat
Joint-second-most runs as a non-opener in a CT edition
Kohli was at his best with the bat throughout the 2017 edition, despite the setback in the final against Pakistan.
He managed 258 runs in the event at 129.
Australia's Ricky Ponting (288 in 2009) is the only non-opener with the more runs in a CT edition.
Meanwhile, England's Joe Root also managed 258 runs in CT 2017 as a non-opener.
Approaching milestone
Will Kohli go past Gayle?
Kohli needs just 263 more runs to displace West Indies talisman Chris Gayle as the tournament's highest run-scorer.
Currently, Gayle holds the record with 791 runs from 17 matches at an average of 52.73 and a strike-rate of 88.77 with three centuries and one fifty.
Among Indians only, Dhawan (701 runs), Ganguly (665 runs), and Rahul Dravid (627 runs) boast more CT runs.
Probable feat
Kohli eyeing another record
As mentioned, Kohli owns five half-centuries in CT history.
If he breaches the mark at least twice in the 2025 edition, he will become the batter with the most 50-plus scores in the competition's history.
Interestingly, the Indian trio of Dhawan, Ganguly, and Dravid share the top spot on this list with six such scores apiece.
Like Kohli, Rohit Sharma will also enter the 2025 event with five 50-plus scores.
Career
Most runs in white-ball ICC events
Overall, Kohli has batted 82 times in different ICC white-ball events, scoring a phenomenal 3,616 runs at 62.34 (100s: 5, 50s: 32).
Rohit (3,276) is the only other batter with over 3,000 runs in this regard.
Though Kohli's form hasn't been great of late, his ability to shine in big stages means expectations are high from him.