Monitoring Desk
COLOMBO: Just like several of Virat Kohli’s previous knocks, this outstanding century against one of his favorite opponents came with its share of remarkable records
Kohli went from 50 off 55 balls to an unbeaten 122 in 94 balls, smashing 72 runs off his last 39 balls to lift India to a tall total in the rain-interrupted Asia Cup Super Four clash against Pakistan. Batting alongside KL Rahul, Kohli was in top form as the duo dominated Pakistan’s bowling attack.
Here we run through some milestones and records from the star batter’s 47th ODI ton.
The Colombo love
Kohli loves batting at the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo, averaging a mind-boggling 128.20 at the venue in ODIs. With this knock, the No.3 batter has four successive hundreds at the venue in ODIs, having also made hundreds in 2012 and 2017 (twice) against Sri Lanka.
The 128.20 is the most any batter averages after nine or more innings at a single venue in ODI history.
Kohli’s affinity towards the venue spreads across formats — he averages a healthy 53.4 in T20Is here, having made three half-centuries in six matches. He hasn’t yet played a Test match here.
Fastest to 13,000 ODI runs
To make 13000 ODI runs is quite a feat in itself, but to do it more than fifty innings quicker than one of the greatest to ever grace the game is unbelievable. Kohli’s status among the pantheon of ODI legends is set in stone already, but these remarkable feat underlines just how exceptional a career he has had.
Kohli got to the milestone in 267 innings, while Sachin Tendulkar took 321 innings to reach the milestone. The likes of Ricky Ponting, Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya, the only other three batters to cross the milestone, took over 300 innings as well.
The icing on the cake is Kohli’s incredible average of 57.62 in the format, the second-best after Babar Azam for anyone to have batted more than 100 times.
Kohli was also involved in a record 233-run stand (unbeaten) with Rahul, the highest for India against Pakistan in ODIs, beating the 231-run partnership between Navjot Singh Sidhu and Sachin Tendulkar in Sharjah in 1996.
The unbeaten stand is also India’s second-highest for the third wicket in ODIs after the Rahul Dravid-Tendulkar stand of 237* against Kenya in the 1999 Cricket World Cup.
Joining hands at 123/2, the stand came at a spectacular rate of 7.24 runs per over. It is the third-quickest double-century partnership against Pakistan in ODIs.
Joint-highest total against Pakistan
Backed by tons from Kohli and Rahul, India put on 356, their joint-highest total against Pakistan in ODIs, equalling the score they had made at Vizag in 2005.
It’s also the ninth-highest total made against Pakistan in men’s ODIs; and the highest total ever against Pakistan at a neutral venue in ODIs.
Kohli’s Asia Cup record
In 14 Asia Cup ODI matches, Kohli averages a stunning 67.18 with four hundreds while also striking at a rate of over 100. Kohli’s tally of hundreds is the joint second-best with Kumar Sangakkara after Kumar Jayasuriya (6 hundreds) and he has a chance to go level with the Sri Lanka veteran this tournament.
His 183 against Pakistan in the 2012 edition of the tournament is still the highest individual score in the Asia Cup.
