Virat Kohli- Surging ahead with tons and records

In the sixth and final game against South Africa in the recently concluded ODI series, Virat Kohli made mincemeat of the Proteas bowling attack to score a whirlwind 129 off just 96 balls to complete a 5-1 demolition of the hosts. In the process, the touring side became the first Indian team to win a bilateral ODI series in South Africa. The three-figure mark at Centurion was the Indian captain's third in the series and 35th overall in the 50-over format.

Among the list of batsmen ODI with most hundreds to their name, Virat Kohli is already climbing his way to the top, currently only second to his predecessor Sachin Tendulkar who is has 49 centuries in format. At the rate at which the Indian skipper is going, it seems like it is a matter of time before he scales the peak, and with each ODI hundred, he is adding a new record to his name!

Presenting a list of the records that the elegant right-hander already has to his name when it comes to ODI hundreds:

35th hundred before turning 30

Virat Kohli's 35th ODI hundred has come nine months before he turns 30, becoming the youngest one to achieve this feat. With the hundred, the stylish right-hander has gone past the legend Sachin Tendulkar in terms of the number of ODI hundreds scored before turning 30.

By the time Sachin Tendulkar had completed his 30 revolutions around the sun, he had 34 ODI tons in his name. As a mere coincidence, The Little Master's 34th ton came in South Africa itself at Pietermaritzburg, just two months before he turned 30. The knock was a mammoth 152 against Namibia in group stages of the 2003 edition of the World Cup.

Comparison with the Master Blaster

Having started his career at the early age of 16, the Master Blaster had already played 314 ODI matches before turning 30. In 305 innings, he had amassed a staggering 12219 runs averaging 44.43, with going past the half-century mark 96 times. With 34 centuries, the conversion rate (50 to 100) stood at an impressive 35% and frequency of scoring centuries - one per nine innings.

In contrast, Virat Kohli started his international career relatively later, three months before turning 20. In close to ten years of his career, he has featured in 208 matches (106 less than Sachin Tendulkar), accumulating 9588 runs at an average of 58.1. But with 35 centuries, he is well ahead of his idol, both in terms of conversation rate (43%) and frequency (a century in every sixth inning).

King of Chases

“Records are meant to be broken.” True to the quote, the current Indian captain has already bettered couple of Sachin Tendulkar's records in terms of ODI centuries, the more eye-catching one being his record while chasing totals.

The 29-year-old overtook Mumbaikar’s record of most ODI hundreds (17) in chases last year during the fifth ODI against West Indies in Jamaica. With the recent ton at Centurion, Kohli has extended his record to 21 centuries.

The aggressive right-hander has also surged ahead of the game’s most prolific run-getter in the record of most ODI hundreds in successful chases. He has helped India chase down their opponent’s total 19 times after scoring century while Tendulkar's centuries scripted only 14 successful chases for India during his playing days.

Next record in vicinity

However, Sachin Tendulkar had 65 100-plus scores (including 31 in Tests) in internation cricket when he was 30 years old. With still 9 months to go before entering 30s, Kohli has only 56 hundreds (including 21 in Tests) to his name. With plenty of cricket scheduled for India in the next 9 months, provided his rich form continues, it will be no surprise if the 'chase master' scales up that peak as well.

During the presentation ceremony at Centurion after winning the ODI series, when asked about his 35th century, Kohli stated he had got eight or nine years left in his career and wanted to make the most of every day. If he remains true to his words, cricket fans are in for a treat as he surges ahead in making many more batting records in his name!