This year, Virat has managed to get himself amongst the top batsmen in the world and definitely a Tendulkar-esque. Here’s why:
Even though Virat Kohli was out on 99 in the 2nd ODI against the West Indies in Vizag, he topped the run-scorers chart for 2013 lying ahead of Rohit Sharma. This year, Virat has managed to get himself amongst the top batsmen in the world and definitely a Tendulkar-esque. Here’s why:
- Scored 99 against West Indies in Vizag in a losing cause. Still tops the runs’ charts with 1218 runs in 30 matches at an average of 58, including four centuries and seven half-centuries
- His 86 runs in the first ODI against West Indies in Kochi helped him equal West Indies legend Vivian Richards’s record of quickest to 5000 ODI runs in 114 innings!
- Kohli is the only player in the history of ODIs to score five or more consecutive 50-plus scores on two occasions.
- After his whirlwind century against Australia in Nagpur last month, Kohli is now behind Sachin Tendulkar only in number of hundreds scored in successful run-chases. Sachin has done it on 14 occasions while Kohli has achieved the feat 11 times
- The Delhi dasher is the quickest man to reach 17 ODI tons, doing it in 112 innings
- Kohli has completed a hat-trick off 1000 ODI runs in a calendar year. That makes him just the fourth batsman in ODI history to do so. Others are: Sourav Ganguly (1997-2000), Sachin Tendulkar (1996-98), MS Dhoni (2007-09) and Virat Kohli (2011-13).
- Last month, Virat made himself into the history books as his two knocks were listed among top three in the list of fastest ODI hundred by an Indian. Kohli’s 61-ball ton against Australia in Nagpur was India’s third-fastest in ODIs and his hundred in 50 balls in the second ODI of that series, beating Virender Sehwag’s record of a ton in 60 balls.
