Stats: Whitewashes Team India has inflicted in a 5-match ODI series

There was a time when teams used to tour Sri Lanka with a hope of putting on a challenge and wished to stand a chance of winning the series. But over the past one year, the onus has rather been on the Sri Lankans as they aim to avoid a defeat at home. India’s tour of Sri Lanka was an example of that as the Indian team whitewashed the home side in the 3-match Test series and followed it up with another in the 5-match ODI series.

This was the first time ever Sri Lanka have been whitewashed in a three or more match ODI series at home while it was the 2nd time in Tests as Australia defeated the Lankans 3-0 in 2004. Overall, this was only the 3rd time a team has whitewashed Sri Lanka in a 5-match series and all the instances have occurred in the last three years. India, under the captaincy of Virat Kohli, clean swept the Lankans 5-0 in the home series while South Africa had done the same at home earlier this year under AB de Villiers.

Overall, this whitewash was India’s 6th in a 5-match ODI series and the 3rd under Kohli. The won the series 5-0 in 2013 against Zimbabwe in Kohli’s first bilateral outing as captain when India toured Zimbabwe with a second string squad. His 2nd bilateral series clean sweep was registered in November 2014 as the then captain MS Dhoni, was out on rest. India won the home series against Sri Lanka five-nil.

Whitewashes by India in the 5-match ODI series:

By whitewashing the Sri Lankans in their own backyard, Virat became the first captain in ODI history to have whitewashes in three different 5-match ODI series’. Though the likes of Mahela Jayawardene, Vivian Richards, Ricky Ponting, Graeme Smith and Inzamam-ul-Haq also have whitewashes in three and more different 5-match ODI series’, only Kohli has been part of each of the five games of three different bi-laterals.

Captains with most whitewashes in a 5-match ODI series:

(Stats as on September 4, 2017)