"Honestly, if I look back at my journey, it's nothing short of a dream come true," Kohli said after moving past 28,000 runs. "I've always known my abilities, but I also knew I had to work extremely hard. I look back with a lot of grace and gratitude, and I feel proud of it."
That mentality was again evident in India's opening ODI against New Zealand, where Kohli's 93 anchored a tense chase. Batting at No.3, he explained that he prefers to take the game on rather than merely absorb pressure when wickets fall early.
"If the situation is tricky, I back myself to counterattack rather than just play the situation," he said. "There's no point waiting around because some ball has your name on it anyway. You still stick to your strengths but put the opposition on the back foot."
Walking in after Rohit Sharma's dismissal, Kohli struck freely in his first 20 balls, knowing that pushing the tempo after a wicket was key to seizing control.
"In a chase, with a total on the board, experience kicks in," he said. "You feel like hitting more boundaries, but my focus is getting the team into a position to win comfortably."
India captain Shubman Gill praised Kohli's clarity and confidence, noting he makes difficult conditions look deceptively simple. Now focused solely on ODIs, Kohli insists milestones are secondary, yet his rise to second on the all-time international run list reflects a career built on belief, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to influence games.
India face New Zealand again in the second ODI in Rajkot on January 14, with Kohli's approach continuing to set the standard.
India's injury list grew longer on Monday after Washington Sundar was ruled out of the remainder of the ODI series against New Zealand, casting a shadow over preparations for next month's T20 World Cup.
ndia drew first blood in the three-match one-day international series with a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday, overcoming a late wobble to chase down a target of 301 and go 1-0 up.
India will be hoping the added experience Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma can give them a boost ahead of the three-match ODI series against the Proteas that starts in Ranchi on Sunday.
South Africa's tail wagged to keep them in the game all the way to the end but they ultimately fell 17 runs short of India's mammoth total in the first of three ODIs between the two sides.
