In the illustrious career of Virat Kohli, there have been countless moments of batting brilliance, and his latest century against a familiar adversary added yet another chapter to his legacy of remarkable achievements. From a steady 50 off 55 balls, Kohli transformed into an unstoppable force, finishing unbeaten at 122 in just 94 deliveries, with a blistering 72 runs coming from his last 39 balls.
This extraordinary display of batting skills unfolded in the midst of a rain-interrupted Asia Cup Super Four clash against arch-rivals Pakistan. Sharing the crease with KL Rahul, Kohli showcased top-notch form, leaving the Pakistan bowling attack in tatters.
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Kohli’s Colombo Love Affair
Virat Kohli’s affinity for the R Premadasa stadium in Colombo is truly remarkable, with the batting maestro averaging an astonishing 128.20 at the venue in ODIs. His recent century marked his fourth successive hundred at this iconic ground, where he has also notched centuries in 2012 and 2017 (twice) against Sri Lanka. Kohli’s average of 128.20 at this venue stands as the highest by any batter with nine or more innings at a single ODI venue in history.
Fastest to 13,000 ODI Runs
Virat Kohli’s latest milestone – becoming the fastest player to reach 13,000 ODI runs – reaffirms his status among the pantheon of ODI legends. Kohli achieved this remarkable feat in just 267 innings, outpacing the great Sachin Tendulkar, who took 321 innings to reach the same milestone. The likes of Ricky Ponting, Mahela Jayawardene, and Sanath Jayasuriya, the only other batters to cross this milestone, took over 300 innings as well. Kohli’s incredible average of 57.62 in the format is the second-best among batters with over 100 ODI appearances, trailing only Babar Azam.
Quickest to 13,000 ODI runs
| Player | Inns |
| Virat Kohli | 267 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 321 |
| Ricky Ponting | 341 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 363 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 416 |
Most runs in men’s ODIs
| Player | Innings | Runs | Ave | Hundreds |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 452 | 18426 | 44.83 | 49 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 380 | 14234 | 41.98 | 25 |
| Ricky Ponting | 365 | 13704 | 42.03 | 30 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 433 | 13430 | 32.36 | 28 |
| Virat Kohli | 267 | 13024 | 57.62 | 47 |
Record Partnership against Pakistan
Virat Kohli played a pivotal role in an extraordinary record partnership against arch-rivals Pakistan, sharing an unbeaten 233-run stand with KL Rahul. This partnership is the highest for India against Pakistan in ODIs, surpassing the previous record of 231 runs set by Navjot Singh Sidhu and Sachin Tendulkar in Sharjah in 1996. Furthermore, it stands as India’s second-highest partnership for the third wicket in ODIs, following the iconic Rahul Dravid-Sachin Tendulkar partnership of 237* against Kenya in the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Their partnership was forged at a stunning rate of 7.24 runs per over and ranks as the third-quickest double-century partnership against Pakistan in ODIs.
Joint-Highest Total Against Pakistan
Fueled by centuries from Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, India posted a formidable total of 356, equalling their joint-highest total against Pakistan in ODIs, a record they previously achieved at Vizag in 2005. This total also ranks as the ninth-highest ever made against Pakistan in men’s ODIs. Notably, it stands as the highest total ever recorded against Pakistan at a neutral venue in ODIs, highlighting India’s dominance in the match.
Kohli’s Asia Cup Dominance
Virat Kohli has a storied history in the Asia Cup, and his latest century exemplifies his dominance in the tournament. In 14 Asia Cup ODI matches, Kohli boasts a remarkable average of 67.18, featuring four centuries. He strikes at a rate of over 100, further solidifying his stature as a batting powerhouse in the competition. Kohli’s tally of hundreds in the Asia Cup is the joint second-best, alongside Kumar Sangakkara, trailing only Kumar Jayasuriya, who boasts six centuries. Notably, Kohli’s innings of 183 against Pakistan in the 2012 edition of the tournament remains the highest individual score ever recorded in the Asia Cup.
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