5 Virat Kohli Records From India’s ODI Series Win vs South Africa

India captain Virat Kohli scored three massive tons during the six-match ODI series against South Africa.

Virat Kohli scored his 35th ODI ton during India’s six one-dayer against South Africa.

(Photo: AP)

“It’s just another Virat performance,” tweeted former captain of the women’s cricket team Anjum Chopra, as captain Kohli smashed his 35th ODI century and helped India seal the six-match series against South Africa 5-1.

The ‘all-important tour’ to Proteas land started with the three-match Test series that the visitors lost 1-2. However, Virat Kohli-led India made the one-day games seem like they were always theirs to win.

Leading from the front, Virat scored three massive tons in six games, breaking and setting numerous records on the way. Here’s a look at 5 of those records set during the India vs South Africa ODI series.

1. En route his unbeaten 129-run knock in the sixth ODI, Virat became the first batsman to score over 500 runs in a bilateral ODI series. He surpassed Rohit Sharma’s record of 491 runs.

2. In the sixth and final ODI, Virat became the fastest batsman to reach 17,000 international runs. The Indian skipper reached the landmark in his 363rd innings, 18 ahead of the second-fast – Hashim Amla.

3. Virat Kohli scored a total of 558 runs in the six ODIs, setting the record for the highest-score by a captain in a bilateral ODI series. He is also now second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s 673 for most runs by an Indian batsman in a series. The master blaster had set the record in the 2003 World Cup.

4. Virat’s unbeaten 160-run knock in the second ODI at Cape Town is the highest individual score by an Indian batsman against South Africa in South Africa.

5. Virat Kohli became the first Indian batsman to score three centuries in a bilateral ODI series. In fact, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman too have scored three tons each, however it was not a bilateral series. While Dada made them during the 2003 World Cup, Laxman achieved the feat during the 2004 VB Series in Australia.

In addition, Virat also holds the record for most hundreds by an Indian captain in one-day cricket. He is followed by Ganguly, who had scored 11 centuries as team skipper.