India's batting juggernaut Virat Kohli shattered yet another record, albeit it came in the backdrop of Rohit Sharma's brigade's crushing defeat in the first Test against South Africa on Thursday, December 29. Apparently Kohli surpassed a record formerly held by Sri Lanka's legendary wicketkeeper batter and former captain Kumar Sangakkara, by scoring over 2000 runs in international cricket multiple times within a single calendar year. Kohli achieved this towering feat during Boxing Day Test against South Africa, marking the seventh occasion that he has reached the 2000-run milestone in a year.
In the first innings of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa, he appeared in fine form as he notched a sedate 38 before Kagiso Rabada bowled an exceptional delivery to dismiss him. However, in the second innings, Kohli yet again came to India's rescue with a solid 76 off 82 but South African bowlers wreaked havoc on Indian batters and hence recorded a win by an innings and 32 runs.
Not just this, he bagged another big milestone which was earlier set by India's head coach Rahul Dravid. Competing in his 15th Test against South Africa, Kohli outdid Dravid's aggregate of 1252 runs scored against the Proteas. With this accomplishment, Kohli now ranks third among India's highest scorers in Test matches against South Africa. He is close to overtaking Virender Sehwag, who is in second place with 1306 runs from 15 Tests. The top spot in this ranking is occupied by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who amassed 1741 runs in 25 Tests.
Talking about Kohli's milestone spree, he also surpassed New Zealand's Darly Mitchell in the 2023 rankings for the most runs scored in international cricket. Currently, only Shubman Gill is ahead of Kohli, having scored 2154 runs. Kohli, who predominantly bats at the number four position in Test cricket for India, boasts an impressive average of 67 this year, with eight centuries and nine half-centuries to his credit.
Reflecting on Kohli's feat of scoring over 2000 international runs in seven different calendar years, it's noteworthy that Mahela Jayawardene has achieved this five times, placing him third on this elite list. Sachin Tendulkar, during his illustrious career, also surpassed the 2000-run mark in international cricket five times.
Kohli's accomplishments in Test cricket are known to everyone, but his recent performance in the World Cup was equally remarkable. He emerged as the top run-scorer of the tournament, amassing a remarkable 765 runs across 11 matches, with an impressive average of 95.62. Demonstrating his exceptional skill, Kohli hit three centuries and six half-centuries during the event.
Furthermore, Kohli scripted history in ODI cricket during the World Cup 2023. In the semi-final against New Zealand, he scored his 50th ODI century, thereby eclipsing Sachin Tendulkar's record. This milestone moment occurred at Mumbai's iconic Wankhede stadium, a fitting venue for Kohli to realize his long-held ambition of surpassing the feats of his childhood hero, Tendulkar.
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