Virat Kohli holds most white-ball records in his kitty. For a man who has the most centuries in the format, it is hard not to rack up records for fun. During the final match of the ODI series against New Zealand in Indore, Kohli notched up his 54th ton in the 50-over format and smashed several records during the knock.
There is one unique record that Kohli breached during the knock of 124 on Sunday (January 18). Since the start of this decade (January 1, 2020), Kohli now tops the list for most runs in ODIs. It was a record held previously by Pakistan's Babar Azam (3142) and Kohli was behind by the milestone by 78 runs before the start of the Indore ODI.
Kohli (3188) tops the list followed by Babar with West Indies' Shai Hope (3106) at third spot. These three players are the only batters to register 3000-plus ODI runs in this decade. Kohli's average of 54.96 is also the second best among top batters behind skipper Shubman Gill (2937) who averages 57.58 in the format. Gill is also fourth in the list behind Hope.
Kohli also equalled Hope for the most ODI tons in the 2020s, with 11 three-figure knocks respectively. However, it is unlikely that Kohli will play beyond the 2027 ODI World Cup while Hope is certain to play till the end of this decade. It will be interesting to see who dominates proceedings once Kohli hangs up his boots.
Gill is the frontrunner in ODIs to continue the 'run machine' juggernaut that Kohli currently controls. With a batting average of hovering close to 60 and strike rate near to 100, Gill has ticked the initial box in succeeding Kohli. Whether the Indian captain can manage to emulate the veteran or not, time will tell.