Happy Birthday Virat Kohli: Decoding his astonishing stats
Arguably the finest batter to have graced the game, Virat Kohli celebrates his 34th birthday on Saturday (November 5). Born in 1988, the batting stalwart has made and shattered a plethora of records in his illustrious career so far and he is not likely to slow down any time soon. On the occasion of his special day, we will look at his astonishing records.
Why does this story matter?
Virat Kohli was born in Delhi to Prem and Saroj Kohli. He guided India to Under-19 World Cup glory in 2008. The right-handed batter made his international debut in the very same year. Kohli was a part of India's 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy triumphs. The veteran also tasted immense success as the skipper of the national team.
Most ODI centuries while chasing
While Kohli's tally of 43 ODI tons is only second to Sachin Tendulkar (49), the former has the most tons in the format while chasing (26). Tendulkar sits at the second place with 17 hundreds. Among active players, Rohit Sharma follows Kohli on the list with 14 centuries. It is safe to say that Kohli would not be displaced anytime soon.
Most Test double centuries as captain
Kohli has seven Test double centuries under his belt and all of them were recorded while leading the team. While no other skipper has as many double tons in Tests, Brian Lara (5) holds the second place. Only Lara (9), Kumar Sangakkara (11), and Don Bradman (12) have more Test double tons than Kohli. Kohli stepped down as India's Test captain earlier this year.
Eight or more ODI centuries against three teams
Kohli is the only player to have smashed eight or more ODI tons against three different teams. He has nine centuries in the format against West Indies and eight apiece against Sri Lanka and Australia. The batting stalwart is currently tied with Tendulkar for most ODI tons against a single side. The latter smashed nine centuries against Australia in the 50-over format.
Most Player-of-the-Match awards in T20Is
Kohli has been named the Player of the Match 15 times in T20Is, most for any player. Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi sits at the second place with 13 such awards. Kohli has received the honor twice in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2022. The Indian batter also has the most Player-of-the-Series awards (7). He has bagged the Player-of-the-Tournament trophy twice in T20 WC.
Most runs in T20 Internationals
With 3,932 in 113 games, Kohli is currently the leading run-scorer in T20Is. His tally of 37 fifty-plus scores (36 half-centuries and a ton) is also the highest in the format. While he averages the highest (53.13) among players with at least 1,500 runs, his strike rate reads 138.45. Kohli also has most runs in T20 World Cup history (1,065).
Most runs in a single IPL season
Kohli, who represents Royal Challengers Bangalore, is the batter most runs in a single Indian Premier League (IPL) season. He smashed 973 runs in 16 matches in the 2016 edition. Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler came close to his tally in IPL 2022, having scored 863 runs in 17 games. Alongside Buttler, Kohli also has the joint-most centuries in a single season (4).
What are his other notable records?
Kohli has a mind-boggling average of 90.05 in successful run-chases in T20Is. His tally of 26 fifty-plus scores in ICC events is the highest for any player. The veteran has smashed joint-second-most centuries in international cricket (71). He is only one of the two players to slam twin centuries on his Test captaincy debut. Kohli is the fastest to complete 10,000 ODI runs.
Milestones awaiting the talismanic batter
The 34-year-old is 68 short of becoming the first player to complete 4,000 T20I runs. He needs seven ODI tons to surpass Tendulkar's tally of most hundreds (49) in the format. Kohli is 650 runs away from becoming the second Indian and sixth overall player to complete 25,000 runs in international cricket. He is 376 runs away from completing 7,000 IPL runs.
Kohli has been in sublime touch lately
Meanwhile, Kohli has been on a roll in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2022. He played a memorable 82*-run knock against Pakistan in India's opener. He also went on to smash unbeaten half-centuries against Netherlands and Bangladesh. With 220 runs in four outings, he is currently the leading run-getter in the tournament. India are on right track to qualify for the semi-finals.
