Virat Kohli joins the elite list of batsmen with 2000-plus runs in most consecutive calendar years

Virat Kohli is back in the colours for the first time since July and he is back in business straight away! The Indian captain scored his 36th century in the ODIs in the first of the five 50-overs game against the Windies at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, and in the process, also completed yet another tally of 2,000-plus international runs in a calendar year.

He has done it five times and thrice on the trot, reiterating yet again the pink of his cricketing health. India, meanwhile, were looking favourites to win the game to go 1-0 up in the series. Kohli’s 36th hundred came off just 88 balls in the 27th over of the innings when he timed a smooth cover drive to the fences, beating the fielder at the deep extra cover, off Windies pacer Kemar Roach.

It was also his 60th international hundred and he is now 13 less than the topper, Sachin Tendulkar, in the list of ODI centuries. He also put up a double hundred partnership with opener Rohit Sharma for the second wicket while chasing the target of 323.

In Guwahati, Kohli also joined Tendulkar as the second Indian batsman to score 2,000-plus runs in five calendar years, which is only one less than the table topper – Kumar Sangakkara. Apart from Kohli and Tendulkar, the only other batsman to achieve the feat is another Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardena. Kohli was also inching faster to 10,000 runs in ODIs and will only be the fifth batsman to do so for India.

Virat Kohli scores 2,000-plus international runs for 3 years on the trot

The Indian captain, who will turn 30 on November 5, also joined the elite list of batsmen who scored 2,000-plus international runs in most consecutive calendar years. Kohli now has achieved the feat as the fourth and the second Indian batsman after Tendulkar who did it between 1996 and 1998. Kohli has done it between 2016 and 2018. The other two players in the list are Australia’s Matthew Hayden who did it between 2002 and 2004 and England’s Joe Root (between 2015 and 2017).

Here is the list of players with 2000+ international runs in most calendar years:

(All stats and data updated as on October 22, 2018)

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