India vs West Indies: Virat Kohli in 2018 - Numbers show Indian skipper’s superhuman side
After scoring 1,460 runs in 2017 from 26 ODIs at an average of 76.84 in 2017, India skipper Virat Kohli has done one better this year. In just 11 ODIs, he has amassed 1,046 runs at an average of 149.42.
After scoring 1,460 runs in 2017 from 26 ODIs at an average of 76.84 in 2017, India skipper Virat Kohli has done one better this year. In just 11 ODIs, he has amassed 1,046 runs at an average of 149.42 — the fastest ever to 1,000 runs in a calendar year. In fact, he has also hit five centuries and three fifties this year. Such has been his scoring spree that the last time he scored in single digits was in September 2017 when he was out for a duck against Australia in Chennai. This year, his lowest score has been 36 — against South Africa in Port Elizabeth in February.
Kohli is now the highest run-getter in ODIs in 2018 and the next best batsman — runs-wise — is England’s Jonny Bairstow with 1,025 runs in 22 matches at an average of 46.59.
While Bairstow has four centuries to his credit, he has also played 11 more games as compared to the India skipper.
Interestingly, Kohli also has the best batting average in list of players with minimum 1000 runs in a calendar year in ODIs. While his Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate AB de Villiers held the record with 1,193 runs from 20 games at 79.53 in 2015, Kohli is averaging a mammoth 146.57 this year.
In fact, such has been Kohli’s consistency that he has made breaking the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s records a habit. He displayed the same again on Wednesday in Vizag as he breached the 10,000-run mark in one-day internationals during the second ODI against the Windies.
Kohli went past the milestone when he reached 81 in his innings and thus became the fastest to 10,000 ODI runs in terms of innings. Kohli has taken 205 innings to reach the feat as compared to Tendulkar’s 259. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has now been relegated to the third spot, he took 263 innings to bring up the milestone.
Kohli became only the 4th Indian and 13th batsman overall to achieve this feat. The Indian captain also holds the record when it comes to being the fastest to reach 8000 and 9000 ODI runs.
During the course of his innings in the second ODI, Kohli also became the fastest Indian to complete 4000 runs on home soil. Kohli surpassed Sachin Tendulkar as he reached the mark in his 78th innings at home, while Tendulkar had taken 92 innings to complete the milestone.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the other Indian, apart from Kohli and Tendulkar, to have scored more than 4000 runs on home soil. He had taken 99 innings to reach the feat.