Virat Kohli thread

[PKBasu]

Controversies usually created threads for the likes of Sachin, Sourav, Dravid, et al. But Virat Kohli deserves a thread simply because he is the world's best ODI batsman today. And, still 104 days short of his 25th birthday (i.e., about the age that Sourav Ganguly made his test debut), Kohli already has 15 ODI centuries, at a batting average of nearly 50 runs/innings and a strike rate of close to 87. He is a phenomenon and -- if he stays fit -- will probably have all the records in ODI batting by the time he ends his career. And he will be the core of the middle-order in India's defense of the World Cup in 2015.

[ihtrak]

He has already got centuries against all test playing nations except for SA.. Good chance he will have one by end of the year...

[mann]

Virat Kohli scored his 15th ODI 100 in the first ODI against Zimbabwe on 24th July 2013. He became the 4th Indian after Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag to score 15 or more ODI 100s. He is the 19th overall to complete 15 ODI centuries. In 106 innings he is by far the fastest to complete 15 ODI centuries.

Least Innings to 15 ODI 100s

Least innings played to score 15 ODI 100s
106 - Virat Kohli
143 - Saeed Anwar
144 - Sourav Ganguly
147 - Chris Gayle
161 - Herschelle Gibbs
166 - Desmond Haynes
180 - Ricky Ponting
182 - Sachin Tendulkar
192 - Nathan Astle
198 - Brian Lara
218 - Mark Waugh

[PKBasu]

Why are we still talking about his 15th ODI century? He now has 19 ODI centuries in 126 innings (ie, less innings than anyone else has scored 15 ODI centuries in)!! And of course, he has a batting average of 52+ at a strike rate of near 90. His numbers are the greatest for any top order batsman in ODI history. Sir Vivian Richards had an average of 47 at a marginally higher strike rate (90.2), but made only 11 ODI centuries in 167 innings.

[prasen9]

Kohli's numbers are assisted by the restrictive ODI rules. If we normalize by the average scores, Viv would possibly stand out superbly.

[bhagatghavri]

Virat Kohli is a match winner player of Indian Cricket Team. Kohli is the first batsman to make five successive scores of 50. He achieves best ranking in Twenty20 international. He scored 15 century. His strike rate is nearby 90.

[prasen9]

And mann was reborn as Ghavri.

[patrika]

Virat Kohli, India's stand-in captain, will attend the funeral of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes on Wednesday. He will be joined by team director Ravi Shastri, coach Duncan Fletcher and team manager Arshad Ayub.




http://www.patrika.com/news/final-farew ... 5156?seq=4

[Rehaa]

He has already got centuries against all test playing nations except for SA.. Good chance he will have one by end of the year...

All where expecting good score from Virat on ICC World Cup Semi Finals.

[Omkara]

But I guess its a pardonable offense

[PKBasu]

With his 48th ODI century in his 285th ODI, Virat Kohli is now just one away from the record for most ODI centuries, having played 178 fewer ODIs than Sachin. He averages 58 runs/innings at a strike rate of 93.71 -- well ahead of Viv Richards or Sachin on both counts. Clearly the greatest ODI batsman of all time. The last remaining piece is to play a decisive innings in the World Cup final. Of course, he has one World Cup -- in which he made a century against Bangladesh early in the campaign, and made a useful 35 in the final (but it wasn't a decisive or defining innings in that match).

[prasen9]

A small nitpick. He averages 58/dismissal and not 58/innings played. Which is an all time best among those who have played a reasonable number of innnings, I think.

Wrt the 2011 WC, a very young Virat was arguably the worst batter in that lot, although he played well enough when we needed that 7th bat. He was also the 2nd slowest, except for Dhoni, who was the slowest. However, all 7 of our bats played well, above the required standard so that we would have no glitches. We lost one match that WC. Virat played all 9 games while Ashwin played two.

I think because of Virat, we won the WC. Going in with 6 good bats would have made things very dicey and I doubt the team would have pulled through. So, his emergence was at the righ time. In this team, I am hoping that some combination of Iyer, Ishan, SkAY, Hardik, and Jadeja bat very well throughout when needed so that we do not have any hiccups. We have solid bats in Rohit, Gill, Virat and Rahul. Need three more bats to step up on the odd day we will have the top order not functioning.

[Kumar]

I agree with everything you said, but not to nitpick, the second section of your last para is

I will gladly take kohli completing his 50th century in this tournament. Considering that ODI format will die, this record will not get broken.

[PKBasu]

49th ODI century in his 289th ODI. The great man keeps piling up the records in ODIs. I hope he gets his 50th in the SF, and the 51st in the final...but that IS really hoping for too much

[PKBasu]

The record-breaking 50th ODI century came in the Semifinal, and was a match-winning effort. But how I wish it had come in the final instead