Virat Kohli celebrates his 38th birthday today, November 5. Widely regarded as one of the finest batters in cricket history, the Indian superstar has enjoyed an extraordinary international career since making his debut in 2008. Over the past 18 years, Kohli has accumulated more than 15,000 runs and scored 55 centuries in ODI cricket alone.

He has produced several memorable performances across formats, but surprisingly, the innings he considers the best of his ODI career is not one of his big hundreds. Instead, Kohli has picked a relatively modest knock of 43 runs.

Virat Kohli Reveals His Best ODI Innings

Whenever discussions about Kohli's greatest ODI performances arise, his magnificent 183-run knock against Pakistan is often among the first innings fans remember.

His unbeaten 160 against South Africa in Cape Town is another performance that remains fresh in cricket lovers' memories. However, Kohli has a different favourite.

During an interaction with Star Sports, the former India captain was asked to select the best innings of his ODI career from a list of memorable performances. He chose his 43-run knock against England in the 2013 Champions Trophy final.

Kohli was also asked to compare several other notable performances, including his unbeaten 133 against Sri Lanka in Hobart, his 35-run contribution in the 2011 ODI World Cup final against Sri Lanka, his 122 against England, his 85 against Australia and his unbeaten 160 against South Africa. Surprisingly, he placed his Champions Trophy final performance above these celebrated knocks.

Birthday special! 😍 Over the years, #ViratKohli has played countless iconic innings, but which one comes out on top? Find out! 📹 Watch him soon in #INDvSL 3-match ODI series 👉 Starts 13th DEC https://t.co/ookEDInLNc

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 5, 2026

His selection might surprise many fans, particularly those who consider his 183 against Pakistan in Mirpur one of the greatest ODI innings ever played. Kohli's choice highlights how much importance he attaches to the match situation and the significance of a performance rather than simply the number of runs scored.

Virat Kohli Delivers A Birthday-Eve Special 

Virat Kohli also gave his fans another reason to celebrate just a day before turning 38.

On November 4, during the ODI match against New Zealand in Auckland, the star batter produced an impressive innings of 74 runs from just 51 deliveries.

Despite the threat of rain affecting proceedings, Kohli looked in excellent touch throughout his stay at the crease. He maintained a strike rate of 145.10, striking 13 boundaries and one six. His fluent batting once again demonstrated why he remains one of India's most dependable performers in the 50-over format.