USA’s Milind Kumar Surpasses Virat Kohli With Record ODI Average of 67.73

In a stunning development that has sent ripples through the cricket world, Delhi-born USA batter Milind Kumar has eclipsed Virat Kohli to claim the second-highest One Day International (ODI) batting average among players with over 1,000 runs, finishing with an impressive 67.73 after his unbeaten 137 off 149 balls propelled the United States to a record 243-run victory over the UAE in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 on November 3, 2025.

The 32-year-old Kumar, who amassed 1,016 runs across 22 ODIs with a highest score of 155*, now trails only the Netherlands' Ryan ten Doeschate's 67.00 from 1,541 runs, while Kohli—long revered as one of the game's greatest chasers—slips to third at 57.71. This feat, achieved in the league's match at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, underscores the growing prowess of associate nations in the 50-over format, where Kumar's consistency has redefined benchmarks for emerging talents.

Kumar's masterclass anchored a remarkable USA recovery from 28/3 to 292/3, forged through an unbroken 264-run fourth-wicket partnership with opener Saiteja Mukkamalla, who also notched an unbeaten 123 off 125 balls—marking the second-highest stand in ODI history behind India's Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja's iconic 275* against Zimbabwe in 1998.

The duo's synergy not only surpassed Pakistan's 260-run alliance between Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Rizwan but also propelled Kumar and Mukkamalla into elite company alongside USA captain Monank Patel, each now boasting three ODI centuries. For Kumar, his third ton arrived in a blistering 21 innings—the quickest for any American—highlighting his rapid ascent since debuting in 2022, while Mukkamalla's effort came in 36 and Patel's in 48, reflecting the USA's burgeoning depth in high-pressure scenarios.

The UAE's chase crumbled spectacularly to 49 all out, decimated by pacer Rushil Ugarkar's career-best 5/22—ranking as the fifth-best bowling figures by a USA player in ODIs—and sealing the hosts' largest-ever win batting first, eclipsing their prior 169-run triumph over Canada in May. This lopsided result in the tri-series format, aimed at qualifying associates for the 2027 ODI World Cup, amplifies the USA's credentials following their historic T20 World Cup upset over Pakistan in 2024, where they demonstrated tactical maturity against full members. Kumar, who honed his skills in Delhi's maidans before emigrating and qualifying via residency, embodies the global migration of talent fueling cricket's democratization, with his average surge from prior metrics underscoring a blend of technique and temperament suited to subcontinental conditions.

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As congratulations flood social media—with fans dubbing Kumar the "Delhi Dynamo" for dethroning an icon like Kohli—the milestone invites reflection on the evolving ODI landscape, where associate players like Scotland's George Munsey (average 44.00+) are closing gaps on elites. For Kohli, whose 14,181 ODI runs at 57.71 cement his legacy despite the numerical shift, the news adds a footnote to his post-retirement-from-T20Is phase, where he eyes the 2027 World Cup as a swan song. Meanwhile, the USA's surge positions them strongly in League 2 standings, potentially fast-tracking a return to the global stage and challenging perceptions of the format's exclusivity to Test nations.

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