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Virat Kohli is one of the most prolific run-scorers in one-day cricket. In 254 matches, he has amassed over 12000 runs at an average of 59.07. The Indian captain is sixth on the list of leading run-scorers in one-dayers. Among batters with the most ODI tons, Kohli (43) is only behind Sachin Tendulkar (49).
The Indian captain registered his 42nd ODI century, scoring 120 off 125 balls against West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval, on this day two years ago. It was the second one-dayer of a three-match series, and India had batted first after winning the toss.
Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan (2) and Rohit Sharma (18) fell cheaply, but Kohli led from the front and held the innings together with a captain’s knock. He occupied the crease for 179 minutes and hit 14 fours and a six.
Kohli featured in a 125-run stand for the fourth wicket with Shreyas Iyer, who contributed an impressive 71 off 68 balls. Thanks to Kohli and Iyer, India posted 279 for 7 in their allotted 50 overs. West Indies, in response, folded up for 210 in 42 overs as Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed four wickets.
Virat Kohli’s most memorable one-day hundreds
Virat Kohli has scored only one ODI hundred since his 42nd ton at the Queen’s Park Oval, though. Nevertheless, here's a look at five of his best one-day tons.
#5 100* (52) vs Australia - Jaipur (2013)
The 2013 ODI series between India and Australia was dominated by batters. The bowlers were literally made to feel they were just there to make up the numbers. Nevertheless, it requires some skill to hammer a 100 off 52 balls, that too in a chase of 360, which the Indian captain did so in the second ODI in Jaipur.
Kohli dazzled away, smashing eight fours and as many as seven sixes as India romped home by nine wickets with 39 balls to spare. Of course, it helps when your opening pair features in a partnership of 176 - Shikhar Dhawan (95) and Rohit Sharma (141 not out).
The right-hander came out to bat in the 27th over and went absolutely berserk. He got into aggressive mode by jumping down the track and lofting left-arm pacer James Faulkner for a four and a six. In the 31st over of the innings, he hammered Clint McKay for two sixes.
Kohli raced to his fifty off 27 balls and celebrated by dancing down the track to Xavier Doherty and launching him for a maximum down the ground. The fours and sixes kept flowing off Kohli’s bat. He brought up the fastest hundred by an Indian as the hosts eased nonchalantly past a target that was supposed to be a daunting one.
#4 160* (159) vs South Africa - Cape Town (2018)
Virat Kohli was in supreme touch against South Africa in Cape Town, in the third ODI of a six-match series in 2018. The Proteas elected to field first after winning the toss, but received punishment at the hands of the Indian captain.
Kohli scored an imperious 160 off 159 balls, hitting 12 fours and two sixes during his 220-minute vigil at the crease. He came in to bat in the second over, after the early loss of Rohit Sharma. Kohli rotated the strike as Dhawan played the aggressive role in his 63-ball 76.
Even as India kept losing wickets at the other end, Kohli continued to find the boundaries to ensure the innings stayed afloat.
It was an uncharacteristic knock as Kohli brought his hundred off 119 balls. It was only in the last two overs that he really opened up, clobbering Chris Morris for a six and smashing Kagiso Rabada for a maximum and a four to take India past 300.
Chasing a target of 304, South Africa folded up for 179 as Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav ran riot with four wickets apiece.
#3 133* (86) vs Sri Lanka - Hobart (2012)
One of Virat Kohli’s most famous ODI knocks ever against Sri Lanka in Hobart in 2012 during the Commonwealth Bank Series.
India needed to chase 321 in 40 overs to stay alive in the series. There wasn’t much hope, as India’s batting in the tournament had been pedestrian at best. However, Kohli’s masterclass saw India gun down the stiff target in a ridiculous 36.4 overs.
The feature of Kohli’s spectacular innings in Hobart was the manner in which he took on Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga and came out on top. Malinga finished with scarcely believable figures of 96 for 1 off 7.4 overs in the wake of Kohli’s brazen assault.
Coming back to Kohli, he blasted 133 off 86 balls on the night, hitting 16 fours and two sixes and scoring at a strike rate of over 150. Kohli was sedate in the first half of the innings, getting to his fifty off 44 balls. But he was only warming up to launch a blistering attack on the unsuspecting Lankans.
Kohli smashed three consecutive fours off Nuwan Kulasekara in the 31st over as India raced towards the target. The 35th over bowled by Malinga sealed the deal for India.
Virat Kohli began by flicking the pacer for a couple to reach three figures. The next ball was wristily lofted for six, while the remaining four deliveries sped to the boundary. Twenty-four runs came from the over, and the outcome of the game became a foregone conclusion, if it was not already the case.
#2 107 (126) vs Pakistan - Adelaide (2015 World Cup)
Any India-Pakistan clash is a high-pressure contest, so one can only imagine what players go through ahead of a World Cup match between the two arch-rivals. However, Kohli rose to the occasion in 2015 with a measured hundred in Adelaide after India batted first.
India lost Rohit Sharma early, but Kohli and Dhawan (73) steadied them with a century stand for the second wicket. Kohli held the Indian innings together, scoring a mature 107 off 126 balls, a knock that included only eight fours. Rotating the strike and running hard between the wickets was a striking feature of Kohli’s knock that day.
He used his feet to hit Yasir Shah for two fours in the 21st over as he approached his fifty. Kohli then brought up his half-century off 60 balls by clipping the same bowler off his pads. By punching Shahid Afridi to long-on for a single, Kohli became the first Indian to score a hundred in a World Cup match against Pakistan.
While Kohli anchored the Indian innings, Suresh Raina took on the Pakistan bowlers, racing away to 74 off 56. India posted exactly 300 on the board, and won the contest by 76 runs.
#1 183 (148) vs Pakistan - Dhaka (2012 Asia Cup)
Virat Kohli’s career-best one-day score of 183 came against Pakistan in an Asia Cup clash in Dhaka in March 2012. Hundreds from openers Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed saw Pakistan post a daunting 329 for 6 on the board, batting first.
Pakistan were favourites at the halfway stage, but Kohli had other ideas. He came into bat in the first over, after Gautam Gambhir fell without scoring, and walked back with the score reading 318 for 4, with India on the cusp of a famous win.
Kohli whipped the Pakistan bowlers to all parts of the ground en route his 183 off only 148 balls. His cracking knock featured 22 fours and one six as he occupied the crease for 211 minutes. Kohli, initially, gave good support to Sachin Tendulkar, who scored a half-century in his last ODI knock.
Kohli then eased to a fifty off 52 balls by cutting Saeed Ajmal past point. In the 19th over, he hammered Wahab Riaz for two fours as India got a move on. Even after Tendulkar’s dismissal, Kohli continued attacking Ajmal. He reached his 100 off 97 balls, without looking in any trouble.
A four and a six off Umar Gul in the 41st over took Virat Kohli closer to 150. He raced past the landmark by crashing Riaz for three consecutive fours. Pakistan’s bowlers had nothing much left in the tank. And even though Kohli was dismissed for 183, India got home by six wickets and 13 balls to spare.
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