World Cup high; tons galore: Virat Kohli in 2023 (ODIs)
The year 2023 witnessed the resurgence of Virat Kohli, the batter. India played more 50-over games in the lead-up to the ICC Cricket World Cup, and Kohli was back to his best. Although India missed out on winning the coveted trophy, Kohli's record-breaking run with the bat made headlines. During the tournament, he also broke Sachin Tendulkar's record for scoring 49 ODI tons.
Kohli averaged over 72 in 2023 (ODIs)
Kohli finished as the second-highest run-scorer in 2023, only behind his compatriot Shubman Gill. The former racked up 1,377 runs from 27 ODIs at an astonishing average of 72.47. The tally includes a strike rate of 99.13. Kohli's tally of six ODI tons is the most for a batter in 2023. He also smashed eight half-centuries in the format.
Most runs in a World Cup edition
As many as 765 of Kohli's runs in 2023 came in the World Cup. He became the first-ever player to score over 700 runs in this regard. Before the tournament, Tendulkar held the top spot, having slammed 673 runs in World Cup 2003. Kohli finished with an average of 95.62. He slammed three tons and six half-centuries.
Only batter with 50 ODI tons
Kohli entered the record books by smashing his 50th century in ODI cricket. He touched the three-figure mark during the semi-final against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Kohli now has the most centuries in the format, having surpassed the magical mark of Tendulkar (49). Only Kohli and Tendulkar have more than 40 centuries in ODI cricket.
Highest individual score in WC semi-finals
Kohli smashed 117 off 113 balls (9 fours and 2 sixes) in the semi-final. He now has the highest individual score by a batter in the ODI World Cup semi-finals. Before this, Sourav Ganguly was the only Indian with a century in this regard (111* vs Kenya, 2003). Notably, Shreyas Iyer joined Kohli and Ganguly with a 105-run knock in the same semi-final.
Nine 50+ scores in a World Cup edition
Kohli has become the first-ever player with more than seven fifty-plus scores in a World Cup edition. The one in the final was his ninth such score. Tendulkar (2003) and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan (2019) occupy the second spot, with seven fifty-plus scores each in the tournament. Both Rohit and David Warner slammed six fifty-plus scores in the 2019 World Cup.
India's Run Machine in limited-overs cricket
Kohli now holds the record for scoring the most runs in a single edition of both ODI and T20 World Cups. He smashed 319 runs in the 2014 T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, Kohli owns the most runs in an IPL edition (973 in 2016).
Fifty-plus scores in semi-finals and finals
Kohli scripted another record with his knock against Australia in the final (54). He is the only Indian to record fifty-plus scores in both semi-finals and finals of a WC. Kohli is only the third player with a century and a fifty in the semi-final and final of a World Cup edition. Aravinda De Silva (in 1996) and Smith (in 2015) are the others.
Kohli's numbers in winning cause (2023)
It is worth noting that Kohli smashed fifty-plus scores (six tons and five fifties) in 11 of 22 ODIs won by India in 2023. He slammed 1,178 runs and averaged 84.14 in this regard. His strike rate in this regard reads 102.34.
Third-most runs in ODIs
During the World Cup, Kohli went past Ricky Ponting's tally of 13,704 runs in ODI cricket. He is now only behind Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) in terms of ODI runs. While Kohli averages 58-plus in the format, none of the other batters with at least 10,000 runs average even 51. Kohli has been ridiculously sensational with his consistency in ODIs.
