Virat Kohli Centuries: Virat Kohli breaks compatriot Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record for most ODI hundreds.
Virat Kohli becomes the first batter in history to reach 50 ODI centuries, breaking legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s previous mark of 49 centuries. Virat Kohli breaks compatriot Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record for most ODI hundreds. Virat Kohli scored his 50th ODI century today at the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, becoming the all-time highest century scorer. Virat Kohli also broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most runs scored in a single World Cup. He has surpassed Tendulkar’s World Cup record of 673 runs in 2003.
Virat Kohli’s 49th ODI century came on his 35th birthday, and he rose to the occasion once more, showing no weakness against South Africa’s potent bowling attack. The Proteas tried six different bowlers against Kohli, who put on another performance at the iconic Eden Gardens pitch to draw level with Tendulkar and help his side amass a mammoth score of 326/5.
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Virat Kohli received excellent support from Shreyas Iyer (77) throughout the middle overs and appeared to be in command as India recorded yet another victory to conclude the group stage on top.It’s time to toast the greatest ODI batting career in history. Virat Kohli made history on Wednesday during India’s 2023 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand, becoming the first and only batter in the format’s 52-year history to complete 50 ODI centuries.
Sachin Tendulkar set the record with 49 tons in 2012, and for a long time, the concept of breaking it seemed unfathomable.But now, 12 years later, Tendulkar’s heir to Indian hitting, Virat Kohli, has achieved a feat that players could only dream of. As Indian cricket commemorates this historic event, we’re here to refresh your memories and take you down memory lane by reliving Kohli’s 50 ODI centuries.
Virat Kohli centuries
1: 107 against Sri Lanka, 2009, Eden Gardens on 24/12/2009
Virat Kohli maiden ODI century came in his 14th game, one year and three months after making his India debut, when he hit a magnificent century while chasing against Sri Lanka. It wasn’t a simple target. Upul Tharanga’s 118 and Kumar Sangakkara’s half-century have lifted Sri Lanka to 315 at Eden Gardens. In response, India got off to a bad start, losing Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag with only 23 runs on the board. But then came a 224-run partnership between former Delhi colleagues Kohli and Gautam Gambhir. Kohli finally left for 107, having hit 11 fours and a six, but Gambhir’s unbroken 150 helped India win.
2: 102* vs Bangladesh, Mirpur on 11/01/2010
Kohli had a strong performance in a tri-nation event in Bangladesh that included Sri Lanka. In back-to-back league matches, he scored 91 against the hosts and an undefeated 71 against the Lankans. Looking poised for hundreds in both innings, Virat Kohli ultimately achieved the three-figure milestone against Bangladesh, giving India four wins in a row. They overcame Bangladesh by six wickets while chasing a 248-run goal, led by Kohli’s undefeated century. India needed someone to bat through after Gambhir and Dinesh Karthik got started. Kohli stepped up and played the job flawlessly, holding one and hitting 11 fours. India lost the final to Sri Lanka, but Kohli’s ability to lead India’s chase three times in a row was impressive.
3: 118 vs Australia, Visakhapatnam on 20/10/2010
After almost nine months without a century, Virat Kohli produced what was perhaps his best performance of his adolescence when he helped India chase down 290 against Australia. Michael Clarke’s 118, together with half-centuries from Michael Hussey and Cameron White, propelled Australia to a total of 289. In response, India was reduced to 35/2 as Kohli walked out. He and Yuvraj Singh put 137 runs together, but when Yuvraj was removed with India still trailing by 118 runs, Kohli hit the gritty century of his short career. He had cramps and had to bat with a runner, but unaffected by the setback and the wear and tear on his body, Kohli and Suresh Raina added 84 more runs. Kohli died in the end, but he had set up India’s victory.
4: 105 vs New Zealand, Guwahati on 28/11/2010
Virat Kohli got his maiden century while batting first, his fourth overall and his second hundred in a row, as India overcame New Zealand by 40 runs despite a batting collapse. Batting first, the whole Indian batting order failed, with the exception of Kohli, who hit 10 fours on his way to 105 off 104 balls. The Indian innings collapsed, losing the last six wickets for 26 runs, but Kohli’s heroics, supported by three wickets each from Ravichandran Ashwin, S Sreesanth, and Yuvraj, were enough.
5: 100* vs Bangladesh, Mirpur on 19/02/2011
Virat Kohli became the first Indian batter and the 13th overall to score a century on World Cup debut in February 2011. Virat Kohli hit his century off the penultimate ball of the innings, and while it was overshadowed by Virender Sehwag’s towering 175, Kohli’s ability to drive the ball on a slowish pitch was admirable. Kohli’s ton against Bangladesh confirmed his spot for the rest of the tournament as he and Sehwag ran Shakib Al Hasan’s team weary, assuring there would be no repeat of Antigua 2007.
6: 107 vs England, Cardiff on 16/09/2011
Rahul Dravid hit 69 in India’s final ODI, but it was Virat Kohli who shone with his first century outside the subcontinent. Kohli and Dravid shared a historic century partnership of 170 runs, which was significant for a variety of reasons. It was Dravid’s highest partnership against England, and the fourth-best for any Indian wicket against England. Unfortunately for India, Kohli’s century and Dravid’s farewell were no match for Jonny Bairstow, who blasted a match-winning century on debut.
7: 112 vs England, Delhi on 17/11/2011
Virat Kohli and fellow hometown boy Gautam Gambhir successfully anchored a difficult chase for India at the Ajun Jaitley Stadium (previously Feroz Shah Kotla) two months later, exacting retribution for the Cardiff humiliation. Kohli scored his fifth ODI century in five months, and his unbeaten 209-run third-wicket stand with Gambhir was India’s largest third-wicket stand against England and the fourth best against any side. England’s 236 was a low total given the excellent batting conditions at the Kotla, but Kohli’s effort made it appear much lower.
8: 117 vs West Indies, Visakhapatnam on 02/12/2011
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s first notable partnership was against the West Indies in Visakhapatnam. Chasing 270, India lost Parthiv Patel, Sehwag, and Gambhir to go to 84/3 before Virat Kohli and Rohit established a 163-run partnership that proved decisive. Rohit missed out on his first century for India, but his unbeaten 90 got the team over the line. The world was taking notice of Kohli, who had shone in another spectacular Indian chase.
9: 133 not out vs Sri Lanka, Hobart on 28/02/2012
Three months later, Virat Kohli became a legend when he hit a knock that became synonymous with his career. India, who were competing in a tri-nation series with Australia and Sri Lanka, found themselves in a difficult situation. After Sri Lanka produced a magnificent 320/4 thanks to centuries from Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan, India needed to chase it down in 40 overs to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive. Virat Kohli, on the other hand, went one better, dismissing them in 36.4 overs. Kohli was dismissive of anything in his zone throughout his 86-ball stay, including a 24-run over against Lasith Malinga. That evening, a legend was born.
10: 108 vs Sri Lanka, Mirpur on 13/03/2012
Virat Kohli destroyed Sri Lanka again a fortnight later, this time on a totally different pitch and conditions. He and Gambhir added another double-century partnership of 207 runs to push India to 304, falling 50 runs short of Sri Lanka’s total. However, this was not the Kohli Asia Cup that everyone would remember.
11: 183 vs Pakistan, Mirpur on 18/03/2012
A fourth century for Virat Kohli at this stadium would also be a watershed moment in his career at the 2012 Asia Cup. After being defeated by Bangladesh in a match in which Tendulkar achieved his 100th international century, India faced an uphill battle against old foe Pakistan. Kohli stepped in to join Tendulkar with a score of 0/1 after being handed a huge target of 330 in their allotted 50 overs. What happened next was simply astonishing. Kohli and Sachin accumulated 133 runs for the second wicket before adding 172 runs for the third wicket with Rohit. His knock comprised 22 boundaries and two sixes, and he kept India in command.Kohli was eventually removed with India 13 runs short of the objective, a task easily done by the batters that came after him. Unfortunately, India was unable to advance to the semi-finals, losing to Bangladesh on head to head.
12: 106 vs Sri Lanka, Hambantota on 21/07/2012
Virat Kohli had a dismal IPL season by his standards, amassing 364 runs while riding the high of his career-best century against Pakistan. What followed is the stuff of legends. Virat Kohli abandoned his sloppy lifestyle and went on a fitness program that has established records to this day. Virat Kohli hammered a century against a team he had grown to enjoy feasting on in his maiden innings since commencing his metamorphosis. Kohli’s 314 runs, combined with Sehwag’s 96 and Raina’s 50, were enough to defeat Sri Lanka by 21 runs.
13: 128* vs Sri Lanka, Colombo on 31/07/2012
Three One-Day Internationals later, Virat Kohli did it again, organizing a victorious chase that gave India an unassailable 4-1 lead and sealed the series. Kohli’s eighth century in pursuit, and Raina’s third fifty of the series. Kohli led the pack among hitters who scored 1000-plus runs in ODI chases at the time, with a then-impressive average of 61.02. In addition, Kohli and Raina’s 146-run partnership was India’s third-highest fifth-wicket stand against Sri Lanka. Throughout their innings, they scored at a pace of 7.82 runs per over.
14: 102 vs West Indies, Antigua on 5/07/2013
Kohli went nearly a year without a century, but he and India’s newly-flourishing opening pair of Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan broke the deadlock against West Indies at Port of Spain, lifting India to 311/7. After getting blasted away by Sri Lanka earlier in the tri-series, Kohli’s scorching ton was enough to turn the rain-affected game into a no-contest as India won by 102 runs (DLS).
15: 115 vs Zimbabwe, Harare on 23/07/2013
The world first saw Kohli as captain in 2013, when, with MS Dhoni rested, Virat captained India for the first time and quickly made an impact with a century. It was another hundred in a chase, and despite a weak opponent, India raced down 229 in 44.5 overs, with Ambati Rayudu hitting a fifty and adding 159 with his skipper. This was a preview of what Team India will become under Kohli.
16: 100 not out vs Australia, Jaipur on 16/10/2013
The Kohli century is not discussed as much as it should be. The 133 and 183 were undoubtedly great, but Kohli’s hundred against Australia was a demonstration of utter annihilation. 359 had haunted every Indian cricket fan since the 2003 World Cup final, and 10 years later, Kohli helped to alleviate some of the anguish from that final in Johannesburg. He smashed the fastest ODI century by an Indian in 52 balls, ensuring that the momentum created by Dhawan’s 95 and Rohit’s 141 on route to a 176-run stand in just 26 overs was not lost. Six Australian batsman struck half-centuries, but Kohli outdid them all as India made a joke of the test.
17: 115* vs Australia, Nagpur on 30/10/2013
Virat Kohli attack against Australia did not end in Jaipur. A few weeks later, he hit his third ODI century against Australia in the series’ sixth ODI, which proved to be a repetition of the mayhem that erupted at Sawai Mansingh Stadium. This time, the target was 351, and Kohli completed with 115 from 66 balls, smashing 18 fours and a six. George Bailey, who scored 156 runs, was relegated to a mere afterthought as hundreds of Kohli and Dhawan mowed down 350 runs again. Kohli’s 11th century in 64 chases.
18: 123 vs New Zealand, Napier on 22/01/2014
One of the rare Virat Kohli hundreds that resulted in a defeat for India, but the 24-year-old had century in all eight countries he had played in by that point. Kohli was the reason India stayed alive in their pursuit of 292. With the Indian batting order in shambles, Kohli led a solitary battle, and a fairly authoritative one at that, smacking 11 fours and two sixes at McLean Park. India fell short by 24 runs, but Kohli kept putting up ridiculous scores.
19: 136 vs Bangladesh, Fatullah on 26/02/2014
Bangladesh has never been a pushover on their own ground, and India would have learned the hard way if another successful Virat Kohli chase had not occurred. They were given a target of 280, thanks to a hundred from skipper Mushfiqur Rahim. And, when India had fallen to 54/2 with both openers out, Virat Kohli calmed the ship with a superb performance. He and Ajinkya Rahane added 213 runs, putting India on course for victory. Kohli batted brilliantly throughout his innings, achieving fifty off 48 balls in the 25th over and a century off 95 balls in the 38th.
20: 127 vs West Indies, Dharamsala on 17/10/2014
Virat Kohli went through his first dip in international cricket between February and October of 2014. The horror that was India’s tour to England had seriously harmed his confidence, so when Kohli eventually produced his first international century in six months, the significance of the innings could not be overstated. Kohli returned to No. 3 and hammered 13 fours and three sixes, adding 72 with Rahane and nearly doubling it with Raina to move India to 330. Marlon Samuels’ 112 wasn’t enough, and West Indies fell short by 59 runs in what turned out to be their final match of the trip, which was canceled due to a pay disagreement between the players and the board.
21: 139* vs Sri Lanka, Ranchi on 16/11/2014
Virat Kohlineeded to get some form and confidence before the 2015 World Cup, and he took another step in that direction by dominating Sri Lanka single-handedly. When Rayudu’s 136-run stand with Kohli came to an end, India still needed another 155 runs, so Kohli decided to pull off… well, a Kohli special. Until the fifth and final ODI, four Indian hitters had struck century in this series, all except Kohli. It was a magnificent knock that provided Kohli the lift he needed, surpassing Angelo Mathews’ 139.
22: 107 vs Pakistan, Adelaide on 15/02/2015
The second Virat Kohli century in a World Cup, and it couldn’t have come at a better time than against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval, a team Kohli wanted to bat against at a stadium where he enjoyed scoring. Kohli’s century, along with contributions from Dhawan and Raina, powered India to 300. Kohli was on 3 when Yasir Shah dropped him at deep midwicket, and he was on 76 when Umar Akmal dropped him. After a disappointing tri-series against Australia and England in which he failed to reach 20 even once, he started India’s World Cup campaign with a bang, extending India’s winning streak over Pakistan to 6-0.
23: 138 vs South Africa, Chennai on 22/10/2015
Another exceptionally long Virat Kohli century drought, he spent six months without scoring a century in ODIs, but he couldn’t have selected another attritional knock to finish the dry streak. Kohli stood tall against an attack that included Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, and Chris Morris in the hot, humid, and searing conditions of Chepauk. It was his first ODI century in 14 innings, and while India fell short of 300 by a run, it was enough to defeat South Africa, who were bowled out by the spin combination of Harbhajan Singh, Axar Patel, and Amit Mishra after Bhuvneshwar Kumar had chosen three to lose by 35 runs.
24: 117 vs Australia, Melbourne on 17/01/2016
Kohli’s year in 2016 was 1998 was Tendulkar’s year, and what better way to start the year for Kohli than to extend his rampage against Australia? Virat Kohli was a solid anchor during his innings, putting on 119 runs with Dhawan and 109 with Rahane. Only 40 of Kohli’s 117 runs came in boundaries as he fought to keep the wheels from coming off. India finished with a total of 295/6, but half-centuries from Shaun Marsh and Glenn Maxwell took the target off the board.
25: 106 vs Australia, Canberra on 20/01/2016
Three days later, another Virat Kohli century but another defeat, as India fell short of Australia’s 349-run target after Aaron Finch’s 107, David Warner’s 93, and Steve Smith’s 51. Dhawan’s 126 and their partnership of 212 at one point placed India on course for their second-highest successful ODI chase of all time, but once the stand was broken and the two set batters fell in a gap of two overs and two runs, it was curtains for India. India crumbled from 277/1, needing only 72 from 75 balls, to lose nine wickets for 61, with Kane Richardson ruining the celebration with a stunning five-wicket haul.
26: 154* vs New Zealand, Mohali on 26/10/2016
Kohli did not play an ODI between January and October. Kohli injured his webbing during his 973-run IPL season, putting him on the sidelines for a time. Kohli returned to the ODI team with an unbeaten 85 against New Zealand at home, followed by a 154 – his then-second-highest performance in the format a week later. Kohli and his captain Dhoni put up a 151-run stand, hitting 16 fours and a six to help India win. Dhoni was moved to No. 4, while Kohli was relegated to No. 6. It was all the good fortune VK needed.
27: 122 vs England, Pune on 15/01/2017
2017 began similarly to how 2016 concluded for Virat Kohli , with him and Kedar Jadhav chasing down England’s 351-run total. When India was 4 down for 63, all appeared lost, but Kohli and Jadhav’s incredible partnership of 200 put India back in contention. Kohli was on fire, hitting five sixes, while Jadhav was not far behind, hitting four sixes on his way to a career-best 120 off 76 balls. Despite the fact that both were eliminated with 59 to go, Hardik Pandya’s amazing 40 not out off 37 balls gave India a share of the second-highest successful chase.
28: 111 vs West Indies, Jamaica on 6/07/2017
Virat Kohli was unfazed, rushed, or hurried in India’s 206-run chase, which they completed in 37 overs. However, the notion that Kohli had to work up a sweat cannot be further from the truth. He stopped second-guessing himself against the short ball and appeared much more in command of his shot selection. It was Kohli’s 18th century in chase, which surpassed Tendulkar’s 17, that helped India win the series 3-1.
29: 131 vs Sri Lanka, Colombo on 31/08/2017
Virat Kohli battered the Sri Lankan attack for the second time in his leadership tenure, and he was joined by Rohit as the two forged a dominating 219-run partnership off only 165 balls. Kohli got his runs off 96 deliveries, while Rohit got his off 88. At one point, it appeared that both would knock the stuffing out of Lanka with double centuries, and India would set a new record total, but Lasith Malinga’s 300th wicket prompted a mini-collapse in which they lost 4 wickets for 49 runs. Nonetheless, the rate at which Kohli and Rohit scored their runs was such that Dhoni and Manish Pandey began their century partnership in the 39th over.
30: 110* vs Sri Lanka, Colombo on 3/09/2017
Virat Kohli tied Ricky Ponting for the second-most ODI century (he got there 79 innings faster) and surpassed 1000 runs in the calendar year as India completed a 5-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka. This one was for the statisticians, as it was easily one of the least difficult Kohli century. Kohli’s century was as significant as Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s first five-wicket haul. His 99-run partnership with Panday and 109 with Jadhav slashed Sri Lanka’s target of 239 runs.
31: 121 vs New Zealand, Wankhede on 22/10/2017
Virat Kohli could not have brightened up the occasion more than by playing one of his finest centuries in India in his 200th ODI. Kohli pushed his body to make a superb century in the energy-sapping heat of Mumbai, but was let down by the rest of his teammates. Dinesh Karthik’s 37 was the second-best score after Kohli’s 122, which took some of the luster off his century. India scored 280, which Tom Latham’s century and Ross Taylor’s superb 93 enabled New Zealand chase down by six wickets and with one over to go.
32: 113 vs New Zealand, Kanpur on 29/10/2017
Two One-Day Internationals later, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma smashed individual hundreds and a 230-run partnership, their fourth double century stand in 50-overs. During his innings, Kohli became the quickest to 9000 ODI runs, and while he started off strong, Virat was content to play second role after Rohit switched gears. New Zealand fought on, but the fact that no one played a huge one till the end meant that they came extremely close – just 6 runs short – yet India won their 7th consecutive bilateral ODI series.
33: 112 vs South Africa, Durban on 1/02/2018
After losing the Test series 1-2, Virat Kohli went into beast mode for the ODI leg of the tour. He annihilated South Africa in this unusual six-game ODI series, opening with a century in the first ODI. Rabada’s 112 against a South African speed onslaught led by Morne Morkel edged out Faf du Plessis’ 120. A challenging chase made to look quite routine, Kohli’s century earned him an unusual statistic: he had scored hundreds every five innings for the previous five years. Kohli now has an ODI century in all nine countries in which he has played. Rahane contributed 79 runs off 86 balls, but Kohli’s performance was outstanding.
34: 160 vs South Africa, Cape Town on 7/02/2018
If Durban was elegant, Cape Town was even more so. Virat Kohli walked out in the first over and batted until the end to record his second-highest individual score in ODIs at the time. Kohli was brutal once more, hitting 12 fours and two sixes. It was Kohli’s second century in three games and his third of the tour, and it kept India from losing the series. Kohli’s assault was brilliantly supported by Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, as the ‘Kucha’ combination scalped four wickets each to lead India to a 124-run victory.
35: 129* vs South Africa, Centurion on 16/02/2018
Virat Kohli put an end to South Africa’s agony with his third century of the series, guiding a relatively easy chase of 206. The Proteas were mentally and physically exhausted by that point, and it showed in their batting, as they were bowled out for 204, with Shardul Thakur taking four wickets. India lost Rohit early in the innings, but Kohli’s 61-run stand with Dhawan, followed by another 126-run unbeaten stand with Rahane, completing India’s 6-1 whitewash of South Africa.
36: 140 vs West Indies, Gwalior on 21/10/2018
West Indies built up 322 for 8 on a flat Gwalior deck, with Shimron Hetmyer scoring his third ODI century, but there was scant consolation for the Windies as their bowlers ran into another Kohli-Rohit epic. A fifty-double-century stand between the two Indian cricketing legends propelled the team past the target with 47 balls remaining. Rohit appeared to be on track for a fourth ODI double but was out for 152, after which Kohli stunned WI with his incredible array of strokeplay. He hit 21 fours and enjoyed his time in the middle as India routed the West Indies by 8 wickets.
37: 157 vs West Indies, Visakhapatnam on 24/10/2018
Kohli’s love for daddy hundreds continued in the following game, as he followed his 140-plus score from the previous game with another 150-plus mark. He marked the occasion by passing 10,000 ODI runs, but he was almost relieved when West Indies came close to achieving India’s aim of 322. Kohli and Rayudu combined for 159 for the third wicket, paving the way for India to surpass 300. However, Shai Hope’s spectacular century mirrored Kohli’s in terms of class and dominance, and was beautifully complemented by Hetmyer’s 94. In the end, the West Indies’ disappointment overshadowed India’s exhilarating tie.
Century No.38: 107 vs West Indies, Pune on 29/10/2018
Virat Kohli has previously produced back-to-back hundreds, but this time he achieved a trifecta of centuries for the first time in his career. Kohli’s personal high was overshadowed by India’s defeat, as the West Indies eventually beat the hosts. India’s chances were good as long as Kohli batted in their 283-run chase. That is, until Jason Holder delivered the game-winning strike in the 42nd over. With Kohli gone and another 64 required, the lower order was left with too much to do, allowing West Indies to tie the game.
39: 104 vs Australia, Adelaide on 15/01/2019
Kohli’s calm and collected knock established the framework for India’s pursuit of 299 before Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik’s closing touches sent the series into a final. Kohli batted with ease, using caution when necessary and upping the ante when necessary. Kohli formed 54 partnerships with Rohit, 59 with Rayudu, and 82 more with Dhoni. With India still 47 runs behind, he fell to a flip straight to the fielder in the deep, but Dhoni and DK’s unbroken stand tied the game at one.
40: 116 vs Australia, Nagpur on 5/03/2019
Virat Kohli, a man for big moments, was once again the star in India’s 500th ODI victory, setting up the game with a clean 116 that brought India to 250. It wasn’t the most forceful batting performance by the Indians, as Kohli’s century and Vijay Shankar’s 46 off 41 balls were the only two substantial contributions, but a clinical bowling performance spearheaded by Kuldeep and Jasprit Bumrah made India’s total look like 300. Marcus Stoinis and Peter Handscomb threatened to end the game before Shankar’s bowling saved India. Shankar’s two wickets, in addition to his batting performance, earned India a narrow 8-run victory.
41: 123 vs Australia, Ranchi on 8/03/2019
In this huge squandered opportunity for India, Virat Kohli stood alone. As Australia hit 313 runs, Usman Khawaja’s 104 outscored Kohli’s 123, but India fell short by 32 runs. Shankar’s 32 was the second-highest total after Kohli, chipping in with form ahead of the 2019 World Cup. Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, and Adam Zampa tore into the Indian batting, which had disintegrated following Kohli and Jadhav’s 88-run partnership. India, who led the series 2-0, lost the final three ODIs to fall behind 2-3.
42: 120 vs West Indies, Port of Spain on 11/08/2019
Virat Kohli blasted 120 against a rudderless West Indies after going century-less in the World Cup, which India lost in the semifinals. He ruined Chris Gayle’s 300th ODI celebrations as India won by 59 runs (DLS method) in a rain-affected match. After Kohli’s century and Shreyas Iyer’s 71 helped India reach 279, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s four-wicket haul reduced the Windies to 210 in their revised chase of 270 from 46 overs, giving India a 1-0 lead.
43: 114 vs West Indies, Port of Spain on 14/08/2019
Three days later, Virat Kohli and Iyer wrote a similar story, with the skipper making a century and the youngster scoring fifty. Kohli and Iyer’s 120-run partnership saw them score at 7.5 runs per over as India easily chased down 255. Kohli, who was dropped on 11, would go on to punish the Windies. Since then, he has been pristine in his approach. After rain limited the game to 35 overs per side, Gayle and Evin Lewis’ half-centuries powered West Indies to 240. India reached their amended target of 256 in 32.2 overs. As it turned out, Kohli’s final ODI century for a long time.
44: 113 vs Bangladesh, Chattogram on 10/12/2022
Virat Kohli finally shook off the monkey on his back in ODIs after breaking his three-year-long century drought in international cricket at the 2022 Asia Cup. He accomplished this by scoring his first century in the format after a dry drought of 25 innings and 1214 days. The wait ended with Kohli’s century in the third and final One-Day International against Bangladesh. This historic knock came on the heels of Ishan Kishan’s spectacular and record-breaking 210-run innings.
Kishan’s brilliant effort not only made him the fourth Indian batter to score a double century, but also the fastest batter to reach 200 in an ODI innings. Kohli and Kishan made major contributions to India’s win, with their second-wicket stand reaching an amazing 290 runs, laying the groundwork for India’s imposing total of 409/8, opening the way for a resounding 227-run victory.
45: 113 vs Sri Lanka, Guwahati on 10/01/2023
Kohli’s century against Bangladesh unleashed the floodgates, and he went on to smash five more hundreds in the following 11 months in 2023. The first was against Sri Lanka, a team Kohli has always enjoyed batting against. India’s top order celebrated with quickfire fifties from Rohit and Shubman Gill, but Kohli, who was dropped twice – once on 52 and then on 81 – persevered until virtually the end to ensure Sri Lanka were set a massive total of 274. It wasn’t the Kohli of old – he couldn’t seem to take off in the death overs like he used to – but it was enough to give India 70 runs in the final nine overs. Sri Lanka responded forcefully with 306 riding on captain Dasun Shanaka’s 108 but it was a bridge too far to cross.
46: 166 vs Sri Lanka, Thiruvananthapuram on 15/01/2023
Virat Kohli was back after going three years without a century, and he chose Sri Lanka to inflict carnage on with a tsunami of a knock that contained eight sixes, the highest Kohli had hit in a single ODI innings. Gill set the tone with an entertaining 116, but Kohli remained unbeaten to give Sri Lanka a lofty mark of 391. The slow pitch in the first dig was what made Kohli’s innings stand out. Still, after scoring 82 off 76 balls, Kohli rocketed to 84 off the next 34 balls he faced. Even when Kohli faced the final ball of the innings, he looked as if he’d just played.
47: 122 vs Pakistan, Colombo on 10/09/2023
Virat Kohli extended his unbeaten run against Pakistan with an incredible century at the Asia Cup just a few months ago. Due to rain on the planned date, Kohli and KL Rahul resumed play on reserve day and set off pyrotechnics with a mammoth partnership of 233 runs. Given a lifeline at 60, Kohli went into GOD mode and blasted India to 356/2, their best ODI total against Pakistan. Kohli concluded the innings with a flurry of fours and sixes, becoming the fastest to 13,000 runs. Pakistan’s 228-run defeat was orchestrated by Kuldeep’s five-wicket haul, which saw Babar Azam’s squad knocked out for 128.
48: 103* vs Bangladesh, Pune on 19/10/2023
Eight years after his first World Cup century in 2015, Kohli scored his second in the competition against Bangladesh, leading India to a comfortable 257-run victory. For the first time in his star-studded and record-breaking career, Kohli prioritized his personal milestone, but it didn’t come at the expense of anything else. India was on cruise control towards the score, so when Kohli was 20 runs short of his century and India was 20 runs away from victory, the decision was taken. Kohli faced 19 deliveries, declined three singles, and ultimately clinched a six for his 48th ODI century with just one run needed off the last ball for three consecutive overs. This accomplishment elevated him just one step away from Tendulkar’s world record of 49 centuries.
49: 101 vs South Africa, Kolkata on 5/11/2023
Another day, another masterclass from Kohli. It was an incredible achievement on its own, but the frequency with which Kohli orchestrates such innings is no longer surprising. Perhaps the actual glory of man rests there. Kohli, who was 35 at the time, was the showstopper once again, writing the ideal fairytale and reaching a record-equaling 49th century during the 2023 World Cup match against South Africa. Only Tendulkar had more ODI tons. Kohli’s innings delivered India their eighth straight victory and a 243-run thrashing of the Proteas.
50: Today vs New Zealand, Mumbai on 15/11/2023
Kohli has an ODI knockout record to be proud of prior to the 2023 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand. He had nine against Pakistan in the 2011 semi-finals, one against Australia in the 2015 semi-finals, and one against New Zealand in England in 2019. Kohli reversed his semi-final curse with a bang on a day when the entire country was apprehensive about India’s chances against their arch-rivals. Kohli smashed Tendulkar’s ODI record of 49 tons with a century against the BlackCaps, becoming the first man to reach a half-century of hundreds in ODIs. Along the process, Kohli broke Tendulkar’s 20-year-old record for most runs scored in a single World Cup edition.
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