India skipper Virat Kohli has been doing wonders across all formats of cricket for quite some time now. However, during the ongoing South Africa tour, the 29-year-old has taken his batting standard to a different level altogether.
Having finished the three-match Test series with the maximum number of runs (286 runs at an average of 47.66) from either side, including a majestic 153 in the second Test at Centurion, Kohli recorded 3 more hundreds in the most recently concluded six-match ODI series against the Proteas.
Virat became the first batsman in the history of ODI cricket to amass more than 500 runs in a bilateral ODI series. The Delhi lad finished the series with 558 runs at an incredible average of 186. While Kohli’s 112 in the first ODI at Durban helped India registering a 6-wicket victory, his unbeaten 160 in the third ODI at Cape Town ensured a whopping 124-run victory for the visitors.
Kohli put on yet another batting exhibition in the sixth ODI at Centurion on Friday (February 16) as India chased down South Africa’s paltry target of 205 with 8 wickets in hand and 107 balls to spare. Virat remained unbeaten on 129 off 96 balls to complete a 5-1 ODI series win over South Africa.
After the historic feat, Kohli credited his wife Anushka Sharma for being a constant motivation in his life. The Indian captain also praised Anushka for bearing all the criticism of fans for her husband’s failure.
“People who contribute off the field they deserve a lot of credit as well. My wife who keeps me motivated deserves a lot of credit. I want to thank my wife. She has been a huge factor. She has been criticized a lot, but she is one person who kept pushing me,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
“I got 8-9 years left in my career. I want to make the most of it. It's a blessing from God that I'm healthy. I just look at it that way. I just keep my head down so I can give 120% for the team,” he added.
Such is Kohli’s domination in One-Day International cricket that he now boasts 21 hundreds in chasing in which India have emerged victorious on 19 occasions. Moreover, the 29-year-old averages a mind-boggling 58.11 after 208 ODIs with 9588 runs. Besides, he is the only batsman on the planet to have an average of over 50 in the Twenty-20 format after 55 games.
