5 records Virat Kohli broke in his 85-run knock against Australia in the 2023 World Cup
Virat Kohli was at his absolute best during India's 2023 ODI World Cup encounter against Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday. The former skipper scored 85 runs off 116 deliveries after coming into bat in a high-pressure run chase and put on a 165-run partnership with KL Rahul for the fourth wicket.
Kohli absorbed pressure and negotiated a testing new-ball spell by the Australian pacers, and later on dealt with the spinners with equal efficiency. He hit six boundaries and as usual, relied on strike rotation to score the bulk of his runs.
The ace batter looked all set to finish the innings but lost his wicket towards the end of the run chase. He found Marnus Labuschagne at short mid-wicket while attempting a pull shot off Josh Hazlewood's bowling in the 38th over.
Kohli has once again started a World Cup campaign on a positive note, and he broke a slew of records in Team India's six-wicket win over Australia.
On that note, here are five records Virat Kohli broke in his 85 against Australia in the 2023 World Cup.
#1 Most runs for India in ICC white-ball tournaments
ICC's white-ball tournament encompasses the ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, and the Champions Trophy. Prior to Kohli's brilliant fifty against Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar held the record for most runs for Team India in ICC white-ball tournaments.
The legendary batter scored 2719 runs in 61 matches from the 1992 World Cup to the 2011 World Cup. His runs came at an average of 52.28, which includes seven centuries and 16 fifties. It is to be noted that Tendulkar did not represent Team India at the T20 World Cup.
Kohli took 67 matches to break the record, and he did it with an impressive average of 65.23, which includes two centuries and 25 half-centuries.
#2 11,000 ODI runs at No. 3
Virat Kohli began his ODI career at the top of the order but soon found comfort at the No. 3, which he has made his own over the runs. During Team India's 2023 ODI World Cup opening contest, he reached 11,000 runs in the position.
Kohli is the first Asian player to achieve this feat and is only second to former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, who scored 12,662 at the position.
Overall, Kohli has played 215 innings at No. 3 in his career, amassing 11,047 runs at an average of 60.37, with a strike rate of 94.67. He has notched 40 hundreds in the position as well.
#3 Most runs in successful run chases in ODI history
Kohli has cultivated a reputation for being one of the best batters in run chases in white-ball cricket. The right-handed batter is a whole different player while trying to operate with a target in front of him.
He has mastered the art of pacing and constructing an innings, and more often than not, has guided India to a win when has settled down in the second innings. The numbers prove the same, and he finally scaled the pinnacle in this regard, toppling Sachin Tendulkar in the process.
Kohli now has 5,517 runs in 92 innings at an average of 88.98 in successful run chases for India in ODIs. Sachin Tendulkar, on the other hand. had scored 5,490 runs in 124 innings in similar circumstances.
#4 Second-highest Indian partnership for the fourth or lower wicket at World Cups
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul had a major task on their hands after Team India were reduced to 2-3 in their attempt to chase down the 200-run target set by Australia.
The in-form pair, who had stitched up a match-winning partnership recently during the Asia Cup 2023 against Pakistan, stepped up once again. They put on 165 runs for the fourth wicket, which took India quite close to the target.
The partnership is also now the second-highest India partnership for the fourth or lower wicket at World Cups. It is also Team India's third-best against Australia for the fourth wicket in ODIs overall.
#5 Most number of catches for India in the World Cup
Virat Kohli claimed a splendid catch at first slip to send Mitchell Marsh back into the pavilion in the early stages of the contest in Chennai. He also took the catch to dismiss Adam Zampa to bring the innings to a close.
With the two grabs, Kohlu has now taken 16 catches for Team India in the ODI World Cup, surpassing the record set by Anil Kumble in the past.
Will the ace player continue to break records at the 2023 ODI World Cup? Let us know what you think.