4 players who could equal Sangakkara's record of 4 consecutive ODI hundreds

When Virat Kohli won the toss and decided to bat first, everyone expected Kohli to equal Kumar Sangakkara’s record of 4 consecutive ODI hundreds. When Kohli walked to the crease at the fall of Dhawan’s wicket, he was confidence personified. He reached 16 off 16 balls before disaster struck.

When India thrashed the West Indies by a massive margin of 224 runs in the fourth ODI at Mumbai, everything fell in place for India except one. It was a thoroughly professional performance from the team on a night when everything clicked except one. It was India’s biggest win in terms of margin of runs against Test-playing nations, but still, one record eluded India.

In trying to run down an innocuous delivery from Roach to the third man, Kohli edged it to the keeper to the huge disappointment of one and all. Sangakkara’s record remains intact for the time being. Sangakkara’s record is unique in the sense that all his 4 hundred came against four different countries in World Cup 2015.

On the positive side, Kohli’s failure gave an opportunity for Ambati Rayudu to score his third hundred in ODI and in the process cemented his place in the team.

Apart from Kohli, four other current players have achieved this rare feat of 3 consecutive ODI hundreds. They are Ross Taylor, Quinton De Kock, Babar Azam, and Jonny Bairstow. While Ross Taylor is at the autumn of his career, De Kock no more has the patience to play the big innings. It will be difficult for Babar Azam and Bairstow to start all over again to reach 3 consecutive hundreds first and then go on to equal Kumar’s record.

To achieve this rare feat, a batsman should be in top form to reach that level of consistency. The batsman should be batting at the top 3 spots. His team should preferably be batting first on all such occasions as sometimes when his team is chasing low scores, he might be stranded at 95 not out.

Most of all, he should have the temperament and the game to adapt to different conditions if matches are spread over different countries. The player should have the temperament of a Test batsman to achieve this rare feat in ODI.

In this article, we will discuss 4 current players who could equal Sangakkara’s record.

#1 Virat Kohli

Kohli missed out at Mumbai but always in with a chance

The first and foremost on the list is Virat Kohli himself. Kohli became the only Indian player to score 3 consecutive hundreds in the ODIs. Before that, Kohli had scored back-to-back hundreds in ODIs on 6 separate occasions. It should not be a problem for King Kohli to repeat the feat yet again and then edge past Sangakkara.

Kohli’s current form and consistency should help him in achieving that rare feat in the near future. After his failure to achieve the rare feat in Mumbai, Kohli would be more determined next time around. In any case, one can always expect the unexpected from Kohli.

#2 Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson - a class act

Williamson has the game and consistency to achieve this rare feat. He has so far scored 11 hundred in 121 ODI innings. Williamson came close to scoring 3 consecutive hundreds in 2015 when he scored 93,118 & 90 in three innings.

The New Zealand team depends a lot on Williamson to deliver every time he goes out to bat. Williamson is comfortable against pace and spin and is used to playing long innings for his team.

After playing 51 T20 international matches for his country, Williamson can change gear and up the ante, if need to be. The experience of playing the IPL changed Williamson into an attacking batsman who could strike at 100 in a one-day match. His sound batting technique helps him in accumulating runs without getting dismissed.

Williamson is also a mentally tough player to match his batting skills. Williamson is poised to become New Zealand’s greatest batsman, both in Tests and limited-overs cricket.

Being the No 1 batsman for a team which has a weak batting line-up should motivate Williamson to score big every time he walks out to bat. He is the ideal candidate to equal Sangakkara’s record.

#3 Joe Root

Joe Root - The most consistent batsman in all formats of the game

Joe Root is an established played for England across formats. Joe Root has so far scored back-to-back hundreds in ODIs on two separate occasions. In 2016, Root scored 125 and 109 against South Africa in South Africa, a fabulous feat. Recently against India earlier in the year, Root scored 113 not out and 100 not out. There was another occasion he missed out on back-to-back hundreds when he scored 90 not out & 101 against the West Indies in West Indies.

Joe Root’s past records show that he is quite capable of going past Sangakkara’s record of 4 consecutive hundreds in ODIs. In 115 ODI innings, Joe Root has so far scored 13 hundred at an average of 51. Joe Root’s strength lies in his consistency. In 2014, Root had a consistent run with scores of 44,113,2,42, 48 not out,36,104, 55 and 80 in 10 consecutive ODI innings.

Joe Root is a strong contender to beat Sangakkara’s record.

#4 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has the power game to break any record in ODI

The Hitman from India is acknowledged for his big scores. Once he crossed the first 30 balls of his innings, he turns out to be quite consistent. In 186 ODI innings, Rohit Sharma has scored 21 hundred including 3 double hundreds. He holds the record for most double hundreds. He has scored 150 plus runs in seven innings which is also a record.

Rohit Sharma has scored back-to-back hundreds in ODIs on 3 separate occasions in 2010 against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, in 2016 against Australia in Australia and in 2017 against Sri Lanka. In the recently concluded Asia Cup, Rohit Sharma missed out on an opportunity when he remained not out on 83 & 111 against Bangladesh and Pakistan respectively.

Rohit Sharma is a power player who could score at a fast click once set. He has scored runs in ODIs all over the world against a different type of bowlers. He is not afraid to take on the fast bowlers with his front foot pulls and hook shots. The only concern for Rohit is his failures in the matches immediately succeeding his big scores. Once that is taken care of, Rohit Sharma could be in with a chance to score 4 consecutive hundreds in ODIs.

Apart from the above four players who are the main contenders, there are others too who have an outside chance of going past Sangakkara’s record. They are Babar Azam, Hashim Amla, David Warner and Steve Smith when they come back and Shai Hope. There is hope for all these batsmen to create a new record.