Despite being an incredible batter with many memorable knocks and moments, the absence of an all-timer World Cup campaign was glaring in Virat’s resume
Our Bureau
New Delhi
After a dry spell from 2020-2022, India’s star batter Virat Kohli returned to his normal, run-scoring ways with a historic, record-breaking and consistent 2023 as a batter, breaking some massive batting records previously considered untouchable.
Though Virat’s redemption story remains incomplete without the presence of the highly-elusive Indian Premier League (IPL) title, ICC World Test Championship mace, and the most heartbreaking of them all, an ICC Cricket World Cup trophy at home, Virat’s batting still gave millions of his fans immeasurable joy, ecstasy, pride, and many more reasons to consider him their ‘GOAT’ (Greatest of All Time).
Let us look at some major batting records established by Virat in 2023:
Most centuries in ODI cricket
Just a decade back, Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries looked impossible to break. Then stepped up a youngster from Delhi, piling up runs and centuries at a rate never seen before every year. On that eventful November 15 this year during the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final at Wankhede Stadium, Virat became the first player to make 50 ODI centuries, achieving this feat in front of the legend himself, who was clapping for him in the audience.
Most runs in a single ICC Cricket World Cup event
Despite being an incredible batter with many memorable knocks and moments, the absence of an all-timer World Cup campaign was glaring in Virat’s resume. Though he scored 443 runs in nine World Cup matches back in 2019 with five fifties, it was still not up to his gigantic standards. Even in the 2011 and 2015 CWC, he scored 282 runs in nine matches and 305 runs in eight matches, respectively.
All of this changed during this year’s World Cup at home, where Virat’s familiarity with home conditions and supreme form combined to give him a total of 765 runs in 11 matches at an average of 95.62, with three centuries and six fifties. He surpassed Sachin’s previous all-time great tally of 673 runs in the 2003 Cricket World Cup and walked out with the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.
Most fifty-plus scores in a single Cricket World Cup
During the ICC Cricket World Cup this year, Virat left behind Sachin Tendulkar (one century and six fifties in 2003 WC) and Bangladesh great Shakib al Hasan (two centuries and five fifties in 2019 WC) to have the most fifty-plus scores in a single World Cup edition, with a total of nine. This included three centuries.
Most Indian Premier League centuries –
Following his incredible 101 in 61 balls against Gujarat Titans, Virat registered his seventh IPL century and surpassed West Indies legend Chris Gayle (six centuries) to become the batter with the most IPL tons.
Fastest to 13,000 ODI runs –
Virat became the fastest player to reach 13,000 ODI runs, doing so in just 267 innings during his 122-run knock against Pakistan in the Asia Cup this year. Now in 292 ODIs, Virat has scored 13,848 runs at an average of 58.97 with 50 centuries and 72 half-centuries and a highest score of 183. He is the third-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket, and his hunt for Sachin’s figures of 18,426 ODI runs still goes strong.
Most ODI centuries against a team
In the third ODI against Sri Lanka back in January this year, Virat became the batter with the most hundreds in ODIs against a team, with a total of 10 centuries against Sri Lanka. Virat smashed 166 in 110 balls in that ODI, with 13 fours and eight sixes.
Most times 1,000 runs in ODIs during a calendar year
During the Cricket World Cup match against Sri Lanka, Virat surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become a player with 1,000-plus ODI runs for the most time in a calendar year. Virat has crossed 1,000 ODI runs in eight different calendar years, as compared to seven by Sachin.
Finally, in all 35 international matches and 36 innings this year, Virat scored 2,048 runs at an average of 66.06, with eight centuries and 10 fifties in 36 innings.
