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Just instinct: Virat's new avatar better than 2016 peak Kohli, says De Villiers

Virat Kohli’s latest ODI form has reignited debates about whether his current version surpasses his peak years, with South African legend AB de Villiers arguing that the Indian batter’s relaxed, fearless approach makes this iteration his best yet. Kohli has been unstoppable in limited-overs cricket this season, amassing 854 runs across 12 ODIs at a blistering strike rate of 117.63, including an unbeaten 139 off 88 balls against the West Indies in Trivandrum.

His recent run of 825 runs in 10 innings alone places him among the most prolific stretches in ODI history, with only six such sequences exceeding his total—two of which he himself achieved in 2012 and 2018. The shift in his game became evident during the South Africa series, where he shed earlier struggles, such as his two ducks in Australia last year, and embraced a more aggressive, freer style.

De Villiers noted that while Kohli showed glimpses of this version at the 2025 Champions Trophy, it was only recently that he fully embraced it, discarding old habits for a more natural, dominant approach. Kohli himself has acknowledged the challenge, vowing to ‘play a gear or two higher’ as he targets 15,000 ODI runs, further fueling speculation that his current form could outshine even his 2016–2018 prime, when he scored 3,401 runs at a strike rate near 100.

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