Virat Kohli’s domestic List-A cricket career represents a narrow window of appearances compressed between early state-level selection and rapid international progression.
His entry into India’s ODI setup at 19 effectively closed the door on regular domestic participation.
This created a statistical record that covers limited matches but carries significant analytical weight for understanding his batting evolution.
The structural reasons behind this limited exposure are straightforward. International cricket scheduling leaves minimal space for regular players to feature in domestic tournaments.
The BCCI’s player workload management further restricts international cricketers from participating in state competitions unless specifically required for form recovery or injury rehabilitation.
His 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy return became relevant from a records perspective because it reopened a closed statistical chapter.
The gap between appearances stretched across 15 years, creating a unique before-and-after comparison point.
This comeback also highlighted how domestic performances get archived differently from international achievements in cricket databases.
Understanding the Virat Kohli List-A century list requires separating domestic tournaments from international ODIs.
Many cricket followers conflate overall List-A statistics with domestic-only numbers, creating confusion about actual domestic century counts.
The distinction matters because domestic innings occurred under different circumstances less media coverage, regional rather than national stakes, and opposition quality varying significantly from international standards.
His domestic record exists as a distinct statistical entity separate from his broader List-A achievements.
Virat Kohli List-A Century List

Virat Kohli Scores Century in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26
Delhi faced a substantial target against Andhra Pradesh, requiring measured batting alongside calculated acceleration. Early wickets created a rebuilding phase where partnerships became critical. Kohli entered during this period, tasked with stabilizing the innings while keeping required rate calculations manageable.
The chase demanded situational awareness across different bowling phases. Spinners operated in the middle overs with defensive fields, requiring rotation expertise. Pace bowlers returned for death overs with attacking plans, testing his ability to find boundaries under pressure. He navigated these phases through shot selection adjustments rather than aggressive risk-taking.
The century materialized during a partnership that shifted momentum. His contribution combined strike rotation with periodic boundary hitting, maintaining pressure on bowling changes. The match situation required him to bat deep, potentially taking the innings close to the target rather than finishing quickly. This tactical approach reflected his understanding of chase mathematics and wicket preservation requirements.
Virat Kohli Today Innings (VHT 2025–26)
| Runs | Balls | Fours | Sixes | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 131 | 101 | 14 | 3 | 129.70 |
The shot selection breakdown reveals a conventional batting approach. Fourteen fours suggest consistent gap-finding through ground strokes rather than aerial aggression. Three sixes indicate selective use of power hitting, likely against specific bowlers or field placements offering lower-risk opportunities.
Tempo control appeared through the 129.70 strike rate. This number sits above run-a-ball without entering high-risk territory. He maintained scoring momentum through singles and doubles, using boundaries to release pressure rather than building the entire innings around them. The balls-faced count shows he occupied the crease long enough to anchor the innings without consuming excessive deliveries.
Risk management showed in the boundary-to-delivery ratio. Seventeen boundaries from 101 balls means roughly one boundary every six deliveries. The remaining 84 balls produced runs through rotation, indicating patient accumulation between aggressive shots. This distribution suggests calculated batting where risk-taking aligned with specific tactical moments rather than sustained aggression throughout the innings.
Virat Kohli in Domestic List-A Cricket
Domestic List-A opportunities contracted sharply after his ODI debut in August 2008. Within two years, he transitioned from occasional international player to regular squad member. This progression eliminated his availability for state tournaments as international commitments expanded across bilateral series, ICC events, and practice schedules.
The BCCI’s team selection policies rarely mandate international players to participate in domestic competitions. Unlike some cricket boards that require periodic domestic appearances for international players, India’s structure treats international duty as sufficient cricket exposure. This policy means domestic tournaments primarily feature uncapped players, fringe candidates, and those recovering from international absence.
His Virat Kohli domestic matches centuries list, therefore, spans specific seasons when international scheduling allowed participation. The 2006-2009 period marked his maximum domestic involvement before international commitments became year-round. After establishing himself in India’s ODI team, domestic appearances ceased entirely except for the 2025–26 comeback.
This timeline explains statistical gaps in his domestic record. The century count reflects available opportunities rather than scoring frequency. Had he played domestic cricket regularly throughout his career, the numbers would differ substantially. However, career progression naturally directed him away from state tournaments into international cricket within three years of serious List-A participation.
Virat Kohli Domestic List-A Record
| Category | Record |
|---|---|
| Domestic List-A Matches | Limited (mainly Vijay Hazare Trophy) |
| Domestic List-A Runs | 800+ for Delhi |
| Batting Average | 60+ |
| Domestic List-A Centuries | 5 |
| Key Tournament | Vijay Hazare Trophy |
The smaller sample size offers analytical value through concentration metrics. With limited innings, each performance carries proportionally more statistical weight. An average exceeding 60 demonstrates consistency despite few opportunities to build volume statistics. This concentration approach reveals performance quality when availability windows exist.
His domestic run accumulation occurred primarily through Vijay Hazare Trophy appearances for Delhi. The tournament served as his main domestic platform before international selection removed him from regular participation. Other domestic List-A competitions contributed minimally, making his domestic record essentially a Vijay Hazare Trophy statistical archive.
The five-century count represents conversion efficiency rather than volume achievement. With limited matches played, scoring five hundreds shows he capitalized on available opportunities. The conversion rate from starts to centuries would be significant if calculated against total innings played, though exact innings counts vary across different cricket databases.
Breakthrough Season: Vijay Hazare Trophy 2009
Kohli’s 2009 Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign produced 534 runs across seven matches for Delhi. This aggregate established him as the tournament’s leading run-scorer that season. The performance included four centuries, meaning he scored hundreds in more than half his appearances—a remarkable conversion frequency at any competitive level.
His batting role for Delhi centered on anchor responsibilities combined with scoring pace maintenance. The team structure positioned him as the primary run accumulator, requiring both innings stability and boundary production. Match conditions varied across venues, testing his adaptability against different pitch behaviors and bowling strengths.
The frequency of big scores within one tournament demonstrated sustained form rather than isolated performances. Scoring four centuries in seven matches requires maintaining technical consistency across different opposition analyses and bowling strategies. Each team he faced would have studied previous innings, making repeated success progressively more challenging.
Pressure scenarios appeared in different forms throughout the tournament. Some matches required building first-innings totals with wickets falling around him. Others involved chasing targets where early setbacks demanded rebuilding. His ability to deliver centuries across these varying situations showed tactical flexibility and format understanding beyond basic technical skill.
Virat Kohli Domestic List-A Century List (Delhi Only)
| Season | Opponent | Runs | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Jammu & Kashmir | 102 | Vijay Hazare Trophy |
| 2009 | Multiple opponents | 100+ | Vijay Hazare Trophy |
| 2009 | Multiple opponents | 100+ | Vijay Hazare Trophy |
| 2009 | Multiple opponents | 120+ | Vijay Hazare Trophy |
| 2025–26 | Andhra Pradesh | 100+ | Vijay Hazare Trophy |
The virat kohli list-a century list shows geographical concentration—all centuries came representing Delhi. No other state team or zonal side features in his domestic century record. This Delhi-exclusive pattern reflects his consistent state representation during limited domestic availability.
Delhi’s role in shaping his domestic record extends beyond team representation. The state cricket structure provided his development platform from junior levels through Ranji Trophy and List-A cricket. His loyalty to Delhi in domestic appearances, even during his early international years, kept his entire domestic century record within one state’s cricket archives.
The temporal gap between 2009 and 2025–26 creates a statistical oddity. Four centuries cluster in one season, then a 15-year void before the fifth. This distribution differs from typical domestic career patterns, where centuries spread across multiple seasons. The Virat Kohli domestic centuries list essentially splits into two distinct career phases separated by his international commitments.
2025–26 Comeback: Century After 15 Years
The 15-year absence from domestic List-A cricket meant he had not faced state-level bowling attacks in competitive matches since 2009. Domestic cricket evolved during this period—new players emerged, bowling strategies adapted, and match conditions changed. His return required adjusting to these developments without recent domestic match practice.
Match pressure during the chase stemmed from multiple factors. Delhi needed substantial runs with wickets lost early. The required run rate demanded a scoring pace without excessive risk. Bowlers attacked with specific plans, knowing his international reputation but lacking recent domestic footage to analyze. These elements combined to create chase pressure despite his vast ODI experience.
His familiarity with 50-over pacing transferred directly from international cricket. The format mechanics—powerplay restrictions, fielding limitations, bowling quotas—remain identical across domestic and international List-A cricket. His extensive ODI experience provided automatic format understanding, eliminating adjustment periods that might affect players with less List-A exposure.
The logical link to his early domestic years appears in tactical approach consistency. His 2009 innings showed similar pacing patterns, partnership building, and acceleration timing. The methods developed during early domestic years remained functional despite the extended absence, suggesting his batting fundamentals transcended format levels and opposition qualities.
Career List-A Records Snapshot
| Record Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Total List-A Centuries | 58 |
| Total List-A Runs | 16,000+ |
| Indian Rank | Second Indian after Sachin Tendulkar |
| Overall Batting Average | 57.34 |
| Best Among 16,000+ Run Scorers | Highest average |
| Domestic List-A Average (Delhi) | 60+ |
These figures combine all List-A cricket domestic tournaments and international ODIs. The 58 centuries include both categories, with international ODIs contributing the vast majority. The 16,000-run milestone similarly aggregates domestic and international performances into one statistical total.
His overall average of 57.34 positions him statistically among List-A cricket’s most consistent performers. The ranking as best average among 16,000+ run scorers reflects sustained excellence across both competitive levels. This achievement requires maintaining performance standards across hundreds of innings spanning nearly two decades.
The domestic average of 60+ actually exceeds his international ODI average marginally. However, this comparison has limited analytical value due to sample size disparities. His domestic innings count remains small enough that individual performances significantly impact the average calculation. The international average derives from substantially more innings, creating a more statistically robust figure.
Domestic List-A vs International ODI Centuries
The numerical separation shows five domestic List-A centuries against 53 international ODI centuries. This distribution directly reflects opportunity availability. He played hundreds of ODI matches for India but very few domestic List-A games after 2009. The 53:5 ratio mirrors his match appearance ratio across both categories.
International ODI centuries are accumulated through regular participation in bilateral series, ICC tournaments, and multi-nation competitions. These opportunities occurred year-round across different countries and conditions. Domestic centuries came only during brief availability windows before international commitments consumed his calendar.
The gap requires no justification because it stems from career path realities. Once players establish themselves internationally, domestic cricket participation becomes rare across most cricket boards. The BCCI’s scheduling and selection approach follows this pattern, effectively removing international regulars from domestic tournaments except in specific circumstances.
Statistical tracking must separate these categories to avoid confusion. Cricket databases sometimes combine List-A statistics without distinguishing domestic from international sources. Clear separation shows that while Kohli’s total List-A century count reaches 58, only five came in domestic tournaments for Delhi. The remaining centuries belong to his international ODI record for India.
Why Kohli Domestic List-A Centuries Matter?
His domestic centuries demonstrate several developmental indicators:
Technical foundation appeared through his ability to construct innings against varied bowling attacks in the 2009 season. The repetition of centuries showed established batting methods rather than experimental approaches. His technique proved effective across different match situations and opposition strategies during this period.
Match temperament developed through domestic cricket’s specific pressures. State-level cricket carries regional pride and career implications for players. Performing under these circumstances, particularly in chase situations or while setting defendable totals, built mental approaches applicable to international cricket.
The transition into international cricket benefited from domestic success patterns. Selectors noted his domestic century-scoring ability when making international squad decisions. His 2009 Vijay Hazare Trophy performance directly influenced his progression up India’s cricket hierarchy during 2009-2010.
The 2025–26 century validates maintained skills despite format absence. Returning after 15 years and immediately scoring a hundred shows his batting fundamentals remained sharp. The domestic platform confirmed that his international success was built on solid technical foundations rather than condition-specific adaptations.
Conclusion:
The Virat Kohli List-A century list for domestic cricket captures a compressed career window that closed rapidly due to international progression. Five centuries across two distinct time periods—2009 and 2025–26—create an unusual statistical pattern rarely seen in player records. The gap between these phases represents his international career, consuming opportunities for domestic participation.
Analytical value emerges from examining what limited data reveals about his development and skill retention. The 2009 season demonstrated early consistency through multiple centuries in one tournament. The 2025–26 comeback showed format mastery persisting through prolonged absence. Together, these data points illustrate both foundation building and long-term skill maintenance.
His domestic record exists separately from his international List-A achievements despite both falling under the same format category. The five domestic centuries represent different opposition quality, pressure contexts, and career stages compared to his 53 international ODI centuries. Statistical databases must maintain this separation to provide accurate player records.
The domestic century count will likely remain at five unless future circumstances create additional Vijay Hazare Trophy appearances. His career trajectory makes further domestic participation unlikely except in specific scenarios. This statistical closure makes his existing domestic record a complete data set for analyzing his pre-international development and recent format validation through the 2025–26 comeback century.