Virat Kohli is the first batsman to score 50 ODI centuries.
The Indian star scored his milestone in the World Cup semi-final win over New Zealand on Wednesday as his compatriot and former record holder Sachin Tendulkar watched from the stands.
Kohli had matched Tendulkar’s 49 one-day hundred just ten days earlier in a group stage win against South Africa.
Here the PA news agency examines the data behind his remarkable performance.
King Kohli
While Tendulkar scored his 49 hundreds in 452 innings, Kohli has overtaken his compatriot in 173 fewer attempts.
Since reaching triple figures for the first time on his 13th trip to the goal line, he has been on a stronger trajectory than his predecessor.
It took Tendulkar 76 innings to score his first hundred, by which time Kohli had already accumulated eight tons.
The rate at which Kohli made a century continued to surpass that of Tendulkar, with the ‘Little Master’ scoring 31 hundreds after 279 innings – the same number Kohli needed to reach 50.
The 35-year-old posted a better run average (58.69 compared to 44.83) and a faster strike rate (93.62 compared to 86.23) than his former teammate, although his run total lags far behind (13,784 compared to). 18,426).
Renaissance man
Kohli has been a model of consistency throughout much of his ODI career, scoring at least 100 every year between 2009 and 2019.
However, his quiet progress towards 50 tons was interrupted by a run of 25 innings without celebrating the milestone – a sequence that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and spanned three full years between December 2019 and December 2022.
He has since enjoyed a remarkable return to form, with six centuries so far in 2023 – his joint record in a calendar year alongside 2017 and 2018.
Kohli scored 711 runs, cementing India’s seemingly unstoppable bid to win the World Cup on home soil. His tournament tally has surpassed Tendulkar’s previous record of 673 set in 2003.
Master hunter
Kohli is undoubtedly the biggest chaser in ODI history.
The 35-year-old has scored 27 hundreds in pursuit of targets, 10 more than Tendulkar, who is his closest rival in second-innings tons.
Of the 16 players with at least 20 ODI centuries, Kohli is the only one who has scored the most while batting second.
He averages an incredible 65.49 in chases, compared to 51.72 in tries in the first innings.
