Virat Kohli, The Latest Indian Run Machine

By Adrian Meredith

 

 

 

Indian top-order batting sensation, Virat Kohli is in perhaps the richest vein of form of any player in ODI history.

Virat Kohli's last 5 ODI innings:

133 (86) not out vs Sri Lanka

108 (120) vs Sri Lanka

66 (82) vs Bangladesh

183 (148) vs Pakistan

106 (113) vs Sri Lanka

Total = 596 runs avg 149.00 S/R 108.56

Equals Indian record for most ODI 50s in a row (5), but behind world record of 9 by Javed Miandad; has scored 4 centuries in past 5 ODI innings;

These are some very impressive statistics, the kind that draw obvious comparisons to Don Bradman. If only Kohli had been able to wait until now to play. If only Kohli could concentrate on only test cricket, and only one test series per year. Then perhaps he could have been as good as Bradman.

We have seen this kind of amazing form (and comparisons) before, of course. Let's not forget when Steve Waugh finally got his first test century, then scored some 500 runs without getting dismissed, finishing the series with a series batting average of over 200. Sachin Tendulkar at various times has been compared, so much so that some true Sachin fans even insist that Tendulkar is better than Bradman! (this, in spite of him not even being sure of being better than one of his contemporaries in Brian Lara). Even Phil Hughes, at least before his technique was found out, was compared with Bradman. As was Virender Sehwag, in some quarters at least.

But, all of that notwithstanding, this is a pretty impressive vein of form. Imagine averaging almost 150 in ODIs while striking at greater than 100! Those are some incredible stats!

Of course, prior to his most recent score of 106, he had scores of 42, 73 not out, 3, 9, 36 not out, 9, 45 and 18. Not terrible form but hardly best-of-all-time kind of stuff.

The simple fact is that India haven't played a one day international for a while and, while Kohli was in great form the last time he played, in between time he hasn't done quite so amazingly well. He has done okay, of course. Just not quite as good as avg 149.50 S/R 108.56 might suggest.

It is still a good statistic, of course. With any luck, Kohli will get close to Javed Miandad's record of 9 ODI 50s in a row.

He now averages over 50 in ODI cricket, it should be noted, and this is off 86 matches, at a strike rate of 86.51. And he is all of 23 years old! His test average of 32.73 is pretty appalling but something tells me that he will soon start succeeding in the test arena too, and lift that average up at least into the 40s, if not into the 50s.