Dubai [UAE], March 1 (ANI): When India takes on New Zealand for their final ICC Champions Trophy league stage match, star India batter Virat Kohli will be stepping on to the field for his 300th ODI match, becoming the only seventh Indian to do so.
India will be taking on New Zealand in their final ICC Champions Trophy league stage match, having already qualified for the semifinals. With no stakes involved in this match, it would be the perfect time for Virat to showcase his free-flowing style of batting and regain some more confidence and form heading into the knockouts after a remarkable century while chasing against arch-rivals Pakistan.
Virat, having made his debut in the format and with it, in international cricket back on August 18, 2008, has accomplished plenty of records in the 50-over format. Despite his heroics in Tests and T20Is, one can easily argue that the ODI is Virat’s favourite format and after years of breaking once-unbreakable records and acing tough chases, the 36-year-old has mastered and completed this format and everything from now on is just a bonus.
In 299 ODIs so far, Virat has scored 14,085 runs at an average of 58.20 and a strike rate of 93.41, with 51 centuries and 73 fifties. His best score is 193. He is the third-highest run-getter in the format after Kumar Sangakkara (14,234 runs in 404 matches with 25 centuries) and Sachin Tendulkar (18,426 runs in 463 matches) and India’s second-highest run-getter.
Virat also holds the record for most centuries in ODIs with 51 tons, outdoing his idol Sachin during the World Cup semifinal in 2023 against New Zealand.
Among batters having played 100-plus ODI innings, he has the batting average of all time and overall he is at third spot, with Netherlands’ Ryan Ten Doeschate (1,541 runs in 32 innings at an average of 67.00 with five centuries and nine fifties) and rising Indian star Shubman Gill (2,734 runs in 52 innings at an average of 62.13 with eight centuries and 15 fifties) above him.
Virat has made it a habit out of delivering scores consistently and motoring towards his career milestones as he is the fastest player ever to reach 8,000 runs (175 innings), 9,000 runs (194 innings), 10,000 runs (205 innings), 11,000 runs (222 innings), 12,000 runs (242 innings), 13,000 runs (287 innings) and 14,000 (299 innings) runs in ODIs.
‘Chasemaster’ is not a moniker attached to Virat for the purpose of pumping, hyping and garnering views and headlines; rather, he has justified his tag over the years with perfectly calculated run-chases.
In 105 matches during successful run-chases, Virat has scored 5,913 runs at a stunning average of 89.59, with a strike rate of 96.74, 24 centuries and 25 fifties in 99 innings. His best score is 183 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2012. He has the most runs and centuries by a batter in winning cause while chasing.
With 10 centuries in 56 innings against Sri Lanka, Virat also holds the record for most ODI tons against a single opponent.
No matter how Virat is performing during the bilateral series, the 36-year-old is a different beast on the big stage. He is the second-highest run-getter in the Cricket World Cup, with 1,795 runs at an average of 59.83, with five centuries and 12 fifties, sitting below Sachin (2,278 runs in 45 matches at an average of 56.95 with six centuries and 15 fifties).
He also holds the record of scoring the most runs in a single edition of 50-over World Cup, with a mind-boggling 765 runs at a Bradman-esque average of 95.62 and a strike rate of 90.31 in 2023, with three centuries and six fifties in 11 innings and the best score of 117. He also won the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award for his effort.
Coming to the Champions Trophy, Virat is the eighth-highest run-getter with 651 runs in 14 innings at a stunning average of 93.00 and a strike rate of 90.00, with a century and five fifties.
He is also the third-highest run-getter for India in ICC events knockout matches in ODIs, with 446 runs in 12 matches at an average of 44.60, with a century and three fifties and best score of 117. Above him sit Sourav Ganguly (514 runs in 10 innings at an average of 85.66 with three centuries and a fifty) and Sachin Tendulkar (657 runs in 14 innings at an average of 50.53, with a century and five fifties).
In successful run chases at WC and Champions Trophy combined, he has 1,134 runs in 23 innings at an average of 94.50, with two centuries and seven fifties and best score of 103*. In knockouts during successful chases, he has 213 runs in four innings at an average of above 106, with two half-centuries.
Virat also holds the record for most runs in an ODI bilateral series, with 558 runs in six innings against South Africa in 2018 at an average of 186.00, three centuries and a fifty.
For his immense contribution to ODIs, he has also won the ICC ODI Player of the Decade 2011-20 and ODI Cricketer of the Year award in 2012, 2017, 2018 and 2023, the most by any player.
With 65 wins, 27 losses, a tie, two no results in 95 ODIs as a captain, which includes semifinal finish in World Cup 2019, a runners-up position in the Champions Trophy 2017, Virat has also been a solid ODI captain. (ANI)
