Are We Witnessing the Comeback of 2016 Virat Kohli in 2026?

Virat Kohli, now standing at the age of 37, is giving the vibes of his prime yet again. The year is 2026, which marks a decade of the finest prime recorded by any player in the history of the game. But now, Kohli is showing signs that his prime has started yet again, despite being retired from two formats.

India may have lost the ODI series against New Zealand, there is a positive sign for the team. Virat Kohli, the team's best ODI batsman, continues to dominate his favourite format without any issues. The chase master played fine at home yet again, playing a crucial role for India in the third ODI game.

He took the team way too close to win the game but fell short. India lost the game by 41 runs, and also lost the series by 2-1 for the very first time against New Zealand at home. Still, fans have noticed a similar pattern in the form of Virat Kohli. He has started the year 2026 in the same way in which he started his prime year, 2016.

1. Virat Kohli in 2016

Virat Kohli started off the year 2016 with his form being extraordinary. India was on a tour of Australia, and Kohli started off the series with a bang. He was able to score 91 runs off 97 balls in this game, which unfortunately came in a losing cause for the Indian team. Steven Smith played a fine knock which helped Australia to start the series with a win.

Later in the third ODI of this series, Kohli was able to bring up his first ODI ton of the year. It was in Melbourne, where Kohli shined much brighter than any other batsmen. However, his century in this game eventually came in a losing cause. India was able to post 295 runs in this game, with Kohli scoring 117 runs off the same.

Pic Source: ESPNcricinfo

But for Australia, the team was able to clinch this chase with ease. Glenn Maxwell played an important role for the team in this game, which helped the Aussies to secure a win in this game and eventually win the series. It was a rare incident that Kohli's century in the ODI format came in a losing cause.

Virat Kohli in 2016 (ODIs):

• Innings: 10
• Not Out: 2
• Runs: 739
• Average: 92.37
• Strike Rate: 100.00
• 100s: 3
• 50s: 4

Still, the year 2016 will remain to be the time when Kohli had his best. He was able to rule for India not just in the ODI format, but across every other format of the game. In 2016 alone, he was able to score runs for the team at an average of 92.37 in the ODI format, which remained a strong positive for the Indian side.

Virat Kohli in 2016 (International):

• Innings: 41
• Not Out: 11
• Runs: 2595
• Average: 86.50
• Strike Rate: 80.91
• 100s: 7
• 50s: 13

This was also the year where every bowler found it challenging to take his wicket. And it seemed that he is standing at a whole different level as compared to the other players of his era. This further helped Kohli to be among the top three batsmen in the ICC rankings of that time.

2. Kohli's Similar Start to 2026

Virat Kohli has had a similar start to 2026 in the ODI format. While this remains the only format he plays in the game, it also comes out as a strong positive sign for the Indian team. Virat Kohli started off 2016 by getting out in his 90s in the first ODI match against Australia. This happened with him a decade after his prime year in 2026.

In the first ODI match against New Zealand, Virat reached close to his 85th international century. But he was dismissed after scoring 93 runs, with this being just a few occasions on which he has been dismissed in his 90s in ODIs. Still it was a great start for the Indian team as they won the match against New Zealand, and Kohli won the POTM award.

Later in the third ODI, which was also a series decider, Kohli played a vital role. Just like he scored a century against Australia in 2016 in the third ODI, he scored a century against New Zealand in 2026 in the third ODI to match things up. New Zealand had posted a massive target of 338 runs for the Indian team to chase if they had to win the series.

Virat Kohli in NZ Series:

• Innings: 3
• Not Out: 0
• Runs: 240
• Average: 80.00
• Strike Rate: 105.26
• 100s: 1
• 50s: 1

But Virat Kohli stood as the lone warrior for the Indian team. He was able to score 124 runs before losing his wicket in the mammoth chase. Due to this reason, his century in this game came in a losing cause. Along with that, it should also be noted that Kohli's first ODI ton in 2016 which came in the 3rd ODI against Australia also came in a losing cause.