When Team India takes the field against South Africa for the ODI series, it will be for the first time in seven years that Virat Kohli will be featuring in an Indian side only as a player and not as a captain. With an eye on long-awaited 71st century, few more records will be in sight for India’s batting maestro when he steps out on the field on Wednesday (January 19) for the first ODI at Boland Park, Paarl.
Kohli stands eighth-highest among batters with most runs in ODIs against South Africa with 1,287 runs to his name. He is also fourth among Indians on the list. Kohli is just 27 runs away from surpassing head coach Rahul Dravid (1,309 runs) and Sourav Ganguly (1,313 runs) to become the second-highest Indian run-getter after Sachin Tendulkar (2,001 runs). Ponting (1,879 runs), Kumar Sangakkara (1,789 runs), Steve Waugh (1,581 runs) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (1,559 runs) are the other four batters ahead of former Indian skipper.
887 runs out of Kohli's tally of 1,287 have been scored in South Africa. The 33-year-old needs 171 runs more to surpass both Dravid (930 runs) and Ganguly (1048 runs) to become the third-highest visiting run-getter in the format in the rainbow nation after Tendulkar (1,453 runs) and Ponting (1,423 runs).
Kohli needs 113 runs more to become the third Indian batter to have scored 1000-plus runs in four or more countries. He has so far scored 4,994 runs in India, 1,316 runs in England and 1,327 runs in Australia. He will hence surpass Dravid, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to stand joint-second alongside Ganguly with most 1000-plus ODI run tallies in three countries. Tendulkar stands atop having achieved the feat in six different countries.
The focus will remain on Kohli, not just how he adjusts to the new role, but how the lessening of captaincy burden will impact his batting figures. Kohli's numbers in Test cricket show a significant dip. He averages only 28.14 in his last 15 Tests with six half-centuries. However, during the same period, Kohli has remained equally threatening in the ODIs, scoring 649 runs in his last 15 matches at an average of 43.36 and strike rate of 92.45, which includes eight half-centuries.
44th ODI ton will only bring him closer to Tendulkar's all-time record tally of 49 centuries in the format. It will also take his international tally of centuries to 71, placing him joint-second alongside Australian great Ponting. The century will also place him joint-second alongside Tendulkar (5) and Quinton de Kock (5) for the most centuries in India-South Africa clashes with AB de Villiers stands atop with six century scores.
