DHARAMSHALA: Star India batter Virat Kohli became the first Indian batter to complete 3,000 runs across all ICC white-ball tournaments on Sunday, comprising of 50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy.
Virat accomplished this feat during the ICC Cricket World Cup match against New Zealand at Dharamshala.
In the match, Virat scored 95 in 104 balls. His knock consisted of eight fours and two sixes. He missed on his record-equaling 49th ODI century, which would have helped him equal Sachin Tendulkar’s record.
In 31 ICC Cricket World Cup matches, Virat has scored 1,384 runs at an average of 55.36. He has scored three centuries and nine fifties in 31 innings, with the best score of 107. He is the fourth-highest run-scorer in tournament history and India’s second-highest.
Coming to the ICC Champions Trophy, he has scored 529 runs in 13 matches at an average of 88.16, with five fifties in 12 innings. His best score is 96*. He is the 11th highest-scorer in tournament history and India’s fourth.
In 27 ICC T20 World Cup matches, he has scored 1,141 runs at an average of 81.50, with 14 fifties in 25 innings and a best score of 89*. He is the highest run-scorer in the tournament’s history.
Overall, in 71 ICC white-ball event games, Virat has scored 3,054 runs at an average of 67.86, with three centuries and 28 fifties.
Next to him is West Indies white-ball legend Chris Gayle, who has scored 1186 runs in CWC in 35 matches with two centuries and six fifties, 791 runs in 17 ICC Champions Trophy matches with three centuries and a fifty and 965 in 33 matches of ICC T20 World Cup with two tons and seven fifties. He has scored 2,942 runs in 85 matches at ICC white-ball tournaments, seven centuries and 14 fifties.
Virat also overtook Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya (13,430 runs) to become the fourth-highest run-scorer in ODIs. In 286 ODIs, Virat has 13,437 runs at an average of 58.16 with a strike rate of 93.69. He has scored 48 centuries and 69 fifties in ODIs, with the best score of 183.
Sachin Tendulkar (18,426 runs) is the leading run-scorer in ODIs. He also has 49 centuries, the most by any player.
Coming to the match, India put New Zealand to bat first. Men in Blue was off to a good start, reducing Kiwis to 19/2 in powerplay. But a partnership of 159 runs between Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra (75 in 87 balls, with six fours and a six) helped NZ come back in the game.
However, India made a comeback in later stages, bundling out Kiwis for 273 runs in 50 overs.
Shami (5/54) was the pick of the bowlers for India. Kuldeep Yadav (2/73) was also fine with the ball. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj took a wicket each.
India needs 274 to register their fifth successive win.
In chase of 274, India started off well with a 71-run opening stand between skipper Rohit Sharma (46 in 40 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) and Shubman Gill (26 in 31 balls, with five fours). India did lose Shreyas Iyer (33), KL Rahul (27) and Suryakumar Yadav, but Virat Kohli (95* in 104 balls, with eight fours and two sixes) and Ravindra Jadeja (39* in 44 balls, three fours and a six) guided India to a four-wicket win with two overs to spare.
Lockie Ferguson (2/63) was the pick of the bowlers for NZ. Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner got a wicket each. Shami was the ‘Player of the Match’ for his sensational five-wicket haul. (ANI)