Virat Kohli Broke Yet Another Record During Valiant Innings Against New Zealand in Indore

Ricky Ponting and Virat Kohli stand alone as the only cricketers to surpass 10,000 ODI runs while batting in the number three position.

Virat Kohli Broke Yet Another Record During Valiant Innings Against New Zealand in Indore

Virat Kohli broke a number of record in the recently-concluded India-New Zealand ODI series (via India Today)

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Despite India’s loss to New Zealand in the ODI series, Virat Kohli maintained his prolific run-scoring, delivering a 124-run innings in Indore. Unfortunately, it came in a losing effort. His performance shattered numerous records, solidifying his status as one of the format’s greatest players.

Virat Kohli has been in exceptional form recently, ever since he announced his retirement from Tests. The 37-year-old, whose performance in ODIs during 2024 were slow, leading many to speculate he would lose form, has proven his critics wrong. Kohli’s purple patch began with a 74-run innings in the final ODI during the Australia tour last year, followed by a POTS display in a 2-1 home series win over South Africa. 

The 37-year-old amassed 302 runs in the three ODIs against the Proteas, which even elevated him to the top of the ICC ODI Batting Rankings. Against New Zealand, he accumulated 240 runs at an average of 80, with one hundred and one fifty.

In the third and final ODI against the Blackcaps at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, Kohli was once again at the forefront in a thrilling chase that his team ultimately lost by 41 runs. New Zealand posted a massive 337-run total after Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips scored centuries in the first innings.

India’s chase got off to a rocky start with the four quick wickets, with all the pressure onto Virat Kohli, who then built two crucial partnerships with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana. After completing his 54th ODI hundred, Kohli continued to attack, but his dismissal to Kristian Clarke in the 46th over ended India’s hopes.

With his impressive 124-run innings off 108 balls, Kohli surpassed Australian legend Ricky Ponting‘s total of 12,655 runs to become the highest run-scorer in ODIs while batting at the number three position. Virat Kohli has 12,662 runs at no.3. The former Indian captain also rose to the top of another exclusive list, going past Ponting and Virender Sehwag’s six ODI hundreds against NZ, with seven to his name. 

Virat Kohli now has seven or more centuries in the 50-over format against five different teams – Sri Lanka, West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. With his century in Indore, the ‘Chasemaster’ has now recorded ten ODI tons in 300+ run-chases, the most in history.

List of records that fell as Virat Kohli dominated New Zealand’s bowling attack in final ODI in Indore

Virat Kohli’s mesmerizing 124-run innings was a pure demonstration of tenacity and resolve, even as he lost all his batting partners during the 338-run chase against New Zealand in Indore. He controlled the play against the Kiwi bowlers for the duration of his time at the crease.

Virat Kohli vs. New Zealand
Virat Kohli scored a remarkable 127 runs against New Zealand in the final ODI (via NDTV Sports)

Earlier in the series, Kohli made history by becoming only the third batsman, after Sachin Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara, to surpass 28,000 runs in international cricket. Although the New Zealand series was a disappointment for the Men in Blue, Virat Kohli did record his 10th international century against the Kiwis, which is the most by any batsman across all three formats, breaking Jacques Kallis’s record (9).

The innings also raised the veteran Indian star’s List-A cricket century tally to 59, and is just one short of Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record of 60 centuries. The 37-year-old achieved another landmark for hundreds at the most venues globally in ODIs, with Kohli having 35 compared to Tendulkar’s 34. Virat Kohli holds an impressive record of scoring over 22,000 runs in bilateral series across all formats.

He also closed the gap on Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most centuries scored on Indian soil, with Kohli now having 41 and the ‘Master-Blaster’ ahead with 42. It is certain that Virat Kohli will retire as one of the greatest batsmen to have ever played the game.

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