3 Indian cricketers with the most consecutive ODI appearances
For a major part of the 20th century and even at the start of the 21st century, Indian cricketers weren't exactly known for their fitness. Cricket hadn't really evolved to the high-octane, demanding sport it is now, but even after significant emphasis had been placed on fitness and stamina, India didn't really adjust to the times.
But then a certain MS Dhoni took over at the helm of the national side and demanded that all his players save at least 10-15 runs in the field and run hard between the wickets. He even rotated the senior players in a brave attempt to improve fielding standards.
His successor, Virat Kohli, has taken it a step further and made India one of the best fielding sides in the world. The improvement in fitness standards is incredibly evident, but given the sheer amount of cricket that is being played, it is still difficult for players to rack up many appearances in a row.
In this article, we take a look at the 3 Indian cricketers who have made the most consecutive ODI appearances.
#3 Virat Kohli (102 matches)
Between 25 August 2010 and 5 March 2014, current Indian skipper Virat Kohli played 102 ODIs in a row. In these matches, he scored 4,552 runs at an average of 54.84, with 22 fifties and 17 hundreds to his name.
Kohli enjoyed great success against Australia in this period, averaging 63.11 and scoring 3 hundreds and 2 fifties in 11 innings. The right-hander also put West Indies, England and New Zealand to the sword.
Against neighbours Sri Lanka, the Delhi batsman took it a step further. In 17 innings, Kohli scored 4 hundreds and 3 fifties at an average of 64.85, including a win in the World Cup final at home in 2011.
One of these centuries was a career-defining knock of 133* at Hobart, where India and Kohli chased down 320 in just 36.4 overs (a chase within 40 overs was required) in the CB series. The innings is remembered for the hammering Kohli doled out to veteran pacer Lasith Malinga, with the Mumbai Indians bowler conceding 96 runs in just 7.4 overs.