Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 139 and Shubman Gill scored 110 as India chased down West Indies’ 295/7 in just 41.4 overs to win the first ODI by eight wickets in Thiruvananthapuram. Kuldeep Yadav had earlier claimed four wickets for India, while Justin Greaves scored his maiden ODI century for the visitors. Kohli also became only the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to reach 15,000 ODI runs.
Thiruvananthapuram, Sept 2026 : Virat Kohli produced a breathtaking attacking century while skipper Shubman Gill also struck a hundred as India opened their three-match ODI series against the West Indies with a commanding eight-wicket victory at the Greenfield International Stadium here on Sunday.
Chasing 296 for victory, India reached 300/2 in only 41.4 overs, completing the chase with 50 balls to spare. Kohli remained unbeaten on 139 from 88 deliveries, while Gill scored 110 from 108 balls as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the series.
The result was set up by India's bowlers after West Indies posted 295/7 in their allotted 50 overs. Kuldeep Yadav led the attack with four wickets for 40 runs, while Prasidh Krishna claimed two wickets. Justin Greaves provided the backbone of the West Indies innings with a century, scoring 101 from 108 balls. John Campbell contributed 62.
India's chase began positively with Rohit Sharma and Gill putting together 74 runs for the opening wicket. Rohit immediately signalled India's intent by driving Jayden Seales through the field for four from the first ball of the innings.
West Indies attempted to apply pressure with disciplined bowling, but Rohit quickly found his rhythm. He lofted Seales over mid-off for another boundary before clearing the ropes against the same bowler. Gill, meanwhile, survived an early chance when a sliced drive went towards cover-point, where the opportunity was put down.
West Indies also lost a review after an lbw appeal against Rohit was turned down. Ball-tracking showed the delivery would have gone over the leg stump, leaving the visitors without their review. Rohit responded by attacking Seales again before pulling Matthew Forde over deep midwicket for another six.
Gill soon shifted into an attacking mode of his own. He cut and drove Alzarri Joseph for three boundaries in the eighth over before stepping out to Gudakesh Motie and lofting the spinner over cover for six.
By the end of the 10-over powerplay, India had raced to 70 without losing a wicket.
Alzarri Joseph eventually provided West Indies with the breakthrough. Having noticed Rohit's tendency to play a big whip across the line, Joseph adjusted the position of deep square leg. The plan worked on the final ball of the 12th over, when Rohit attempted to hit a full delivery but mistimed it straight to the fielder.
Rohit departed for 32, with Joseph dismissing him for the fourth time in ODI cricket.
Kohli walked in and quickly established his presence. He opened his account with an aggressive pull that went over the wicketkeeper's head for six before finding another boundary against Joseph.
The former India captain continued to rotate the strike and punish loose deliveries as Gill completed his half-century from 49 balls. The pair steadily increased the scoring rate, with Gill using his strong pull and cut shots while Kohli found gaps behind square and through the midwicket region.
The conditions also began to favour the batters as dew settled on the ground. West Indies were further hampered when Justin Greaves, who had scored his century earlier in the day, was forced off the field after suffering shin cramps. His absence left captain Shai Hope with only five frontline bowling options.
Kohli brought up his half-century from just 40 balls, lofting Joseph down the ground for six. The packed Thiruvananthapuram crowd responded with a loud ovation as Kohli smiled and acknowledged the landmark.
Gill continued to attack at the other end. Despite dealing with cramps of his own, the Indian captain remained aggressive, pulling and cutting Roston Chase for boundaries.
The partnership soon became decisive. Kohli took three boundaries from an over by Joseph, repeatedly putting short deliveries away before reaching another major milestone.
A pull off Joseph took Kohli beyond 15,000 runs in ODI cricket, making him only the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to reach the landmark. Kohli also became the fastest men's batter to reach 15,000 ODI runs.
Gill then completed his century in style. Early in the 31st over, he drove Seales crisply past mid-on to reach three figures from 108 balls. His innings included 13 fours and a six, and it was his 10th ODI century.
The second-wicket partnership crossed 150, but West Indies finally broke through when Gill attempted to slog-sweep Chase and picked out the deep midwicket fielder. He departed for 110 after adding 151 runs with Kohli.
With India needing only a relatively small number of runs, Ruturaj Gaikwad joined Kohli and played a supporting role as the senior batter accelerated further.
Kohli moved rapidly through the 90s before completing his 55th ODI century with a six against Gudakesh Motie. He reached three figures from just 74 balls, making it the third-fastest ODI century of his career.
Once he reached his hundred, Kohli showed no intention of slowing down. He launched Motie over extra cover for a huge six before finding another boundary in the same over.
He was given another life when a catch was dropped at deep midwicket after he had reached 125. Kohli made West Indies pay immediately, striking the ball into the stands and continuing his assault.
His nine sixes were the most he has hit in a single ODI innings, underlining the unusually aggressive nature of his knock. He also struck 10 fours and finished with a strike rate of 157.95.
The finish was fittingly emphatic. With India close to the target, Kohli struck two successive sixes off Keacy Carty, bringing the chase to an end at 300/2 in 41.4 overs.
Kohli's unbeaten 139 was his 55th ODI century and his 10th hundred against the West Indies. His innings combined traditional stroke-making with an unusually high number of aerial shots, allowing India to complete a chase that had initially appeared challenging.
Earlier, West Indies had been given a strong platform by Greaves and Campbell. The visitors reached a competitive total of 295/7, but Kuldeep's four-wicket spell prevented them from pushing the score substantially higher. Prasidh also struck twice as India kept the West Indies batting line-up under control.
For West Indies, Greaves' 101 was a significant positive. However, their total ultimately proved insufficient against an Indian top order that combined patience with sustained aggression.
The victory gives India an early advantage in the three-match series, with the performances of Kohli and Gill providing the major highlights of the opening contest. India will now look to carry the momentum into the second ODI, while West Indies will seek a stronger all-round performance to level the series.
