Last Updated on 5 months by Charbel Coorey
Virat Kohli and run chases in ODIs. Is there a more suitable pairing in the history of white-ball cricket?
Virat’s latest masterclass, a glorious 95 against New Zealand in India’s 2023 World Cup encounter at Dharamsala, is another example of his excellence millions have been blessed to witness over the past 15 years. New Zealand had an opening with India 76/2 chasing 274 after Lockie Ferguson dismissed both Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in quick succession, but Kohli, as he often does, took control of chase to lead India to a position of safety.
As was the case against Bangladesh, he went for a big shot to seal both the winning runs and an ODI century, but he fell short against the Black Caps. However, the nature of the innings, where he kept things ticking with a dot-ball percentage of just 45.2, meant that he set up the game nicely for his team once again.
Virat Kohli’s numbers in ODI run chases
India can often count on Virat in run chases. In 152 innings batting second in ODIs, Kohli has scored 7,794 runs at an average of 65.5 and strike rate of 93.6. An incredible 27 off his 48 centuries have come when chasing, ten more than the next best – Sachin Tendulkar with 17.
However, it’s in successful run chases where the numbers truly amaze. In Indian victories, Kohli has scored 5,691 runs at an average of 90.3 and strike rate of 97.3. He has finished unbeaten 32 times out of the 95 such innings.
In the history of ODI cricket, just nine players have scored more than 22 centuries in total. In successful chases alone, Kohli has 23. It’s such numbers over an extended period of time that puts India’s number three well and truly in the conversation when discussing the best one-day batsman of all-time.
Indeed, critics will point to Kohli’s performances – or lackthereof – in knockout matches of ODI World Cups. However, his excellent performances in big games in T20 World Cups holds him in good stead to turn the ODI numbers around in 2023.
If he does, India will be even harder to stop and will be well on their way to a third ODI World Cup title. The men in blue have been superb in the 2023 edition so far, winning five from five to sit pretty atop the table.
India are yet to concede 300, with their bowling across all stages producing the goods in conjunction with the excellent form of Virat and Rohit Sharma. Even in the New Zealand game where Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra took Kuldeep Yadav on, the pace bowlers, led by Mohammed Shami’s five-wicket haul on his return to the team, restricted the Black Caps brilliantly in the final ten overs.
Next up for India is strugglling England on October 29 at Lucknow.
