Ravichandran Ashwin was full of praise for Virat Kohli after the New Zealand ODIs, highlighting the batter’s repeated knack for producing standout innings. Kohli capped the series with a fluent 124 off 108 deliveries in Indore, a knock that carried him to a record-extending 54th ODI century.

India were unable to build on Kohli’s heroics, eventually slipping to a 41-run defeat that handed New Zealand a 2–1 series win. The result, however, did little to overshadow Kohli’s output, as he signed off with an average of 80 and a strike rate exceeding 105.

Reflecting on Virat Kohli during his post-series analysis on YouTube, Ashwin remarked at the 1:57 mark:

“I truly want to applaud Virat Kohli. He’s already celebrated endlessly, yet the desire to perform never fades. That drive is something others can take inspiration from. He has nothing left to prove, and still, his inner pride pushes him to deliver every time.”

Since stepping away from Test cricket midway through 2025, Kohli has enjoyed a prolific run in ODIs, including three hundreds in his last six innings. That purple patch has propelled him back to the summit of the ICC ODI batting rankings.

Ravichandran Ashwin has often spoken about Virat Kohli as a reference point for the next generation, citing his relentless drive for improvement. Only Sachin Tendulkar sits ahead of Kohli in international runs and centuries, with Kohli also leading the ODI charts with 54 hundreds.

“He sets his own standards and lives by them. That, in itself, is a lesson for everyone. Opinions may differ, but there’s no denying his dominance. He keeps raising the bar every time he plays. A player like that doesn’t need external motivation. He competes only with himself, and that’s something the younger generation can learn from,” Ashwin added.

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