Virat Kohli set to go past Rohit Sharma as former India skipper eyes record-fest outing in South Africa series

Virat Kohli is all set to have a record-fest outing against South Africa in the three-match T20I series. Rohit Sharma-led India will meet the Proteas in the series opener on Wednesday.

Continuing their dress rehearsals for the upcoming edition of the ICC World T20, Rohit Sharma-led Team India will host South Africa for a three-match T20I series. Virat Kohli-starrer Team India is heading to the three-match series after upstaging Australia 2-1 in their previous white-ball assignment. Former Indian skipper Kohli played a majestic knock to help India defeat the 2021 World Cup winners in the series decider at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Sunday.

Rohit Sharma, right, and Virat Kohli stand between the wickets during the third T20 cricket match between India and Australia (AP)

Enjoying his purple patch in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup 2022, Kohli will be eager to spearhead the batting charge for the Rohit-led side in the South Africa series. Kohli's teammate and Indian skipper Rohit is the leading run-getter for India against the Proteas in the shortest format of the game. The veteran Indian opener has amassed 362 runs in 13 matches against South Africa.

Top scorer against South Africa in T20Is

Former Indian batter Suresh Raina has scored 339 runs and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend is the second-highest scorer against South Africa in T20Is. Batting icon Kohli is third on the elite list with 254 runs in 10 matches. Kohli is 108 runs behind Rohit in the list of Indian batters with the most runs against the rainbow nation.

Most half-centuries vs South Africa

Kohli holds the record of scoring most half-centuries in the shortest format of the game. The former Indian skipper has struck 33 fifties in his glittering career for the 2007 world champions. The former Indian skipper has notched up two half-centuries against the Proteas. If Kohli ends up scoring a fifty in the upcoming series, the premier batter can achieve the milestone of smashing the most number of half-centuries against South Africa in T20Is.

Leading run-getter in T20I history

Run-machine Kohli recently became India's second-highest scorer in international cricket. The former Indian captain is the all-time top scorer in T20 cricket. The 33-year-old has scored 10,978 runs in the shortest format. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) icon only needs to play a 22-run knock to become the first Indian batter to complete 11,000 runs in T20 cricket. Kohli is also the second-highest run-getter in the history of T20I cricket. The former Indian skipper only needs to score 34 runs in the 1st T20I against South Africa to surpass Rohit and become the leading run-getter in T20I cricket.