Asia Cup 2023: 5 records that were broken during India’s incredible 228-run victory over Pakistan in Super 4
Team India scripted an emphatic 228-run victory against arch-rivals Pakistan in the Super Four of the Asia Cup 2023 at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Monday. The game stretched for two days due to inclement weather conditions.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill came out all guns blazing after Babar Azam asked the Men in Blue to bat first. Shaheen Afridi, who knocked over India's top over in the group-stage fixture, looked toothless as the Indian batters scored runs at will.
Barring Naseem Shah, none of the Pakistani bowlers looked threatening as Rohit and Gill added 121 runs for the first wicket. Although the Men in Green bounced back with two wickets in a span of seven deliveries, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul's exemplary batting put India in the driver's seat.
The pair added an unbeaten 233 off 193 deliveries for the third wicket to propel the Men in Blue to a gigantic 356-run total. Rahul remained unbeaten on 111 off 106 balls, while Kohli smacked a record-breaking 122* off just 94 deliveries with the help of nine boundaries and three sixes.
In response, Pakistan batters struggled to get going. After Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya gave the Men in Blue a solid start, Kuldeep Yadav spun his web to put their arch-rivals out of the game. He returned with figures of 5/25 as Pakistan could only manage 128 runs, with Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah not coming out to bat due to injuries.
The game certainly witnessed a lot of special performances over the last two days.
On that note, let's take a look at five records that were broken during the India vs Pakistan Super Four match.
#1 Virat Kohli became the fastest to scale 13,000 ODI runs
The former Indian skipper became the fastest batter to reach 13,000 ODI runs on Monday, going past legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar. Virat Kohli achieved the milestone with a double off Shaheen Afridi in the 48th over of India’s innings.
Kohli achieved the feat in 267 innings, leapfrogging Tendulkar, who attained the record in 321 innings.
Kohli also became only the fifth batter to score 13,000 runs in 50-over cricket. Tendulkar (18,426), Kumar Sangakkara (14,234), Ricky Ponting (13,704), and Sanath Jayasuriya (13,430) are the only batters to achieve the feat.
#2 Virat Kohli now has the most Player of the Match award in the Asia Cup among Indians
The talismanic batter scored a fantastic century, further stretching his good run of form this year.
Kohli smashed nine boundaries and three sixes for his unbeaten 122 off just 94 balls, registering his 47th ODI ton in the process.
The Delhi-born cricketer was named the Player of the Match for his superlative efforts with the bat. Kohli has now won four Player of the Match awards in Asia Cup history, which is the most by an India.
Former Indian cricketers Suresh Raina and Navjot Singh Sidhu occupy the joint-second spot, winning three Player of the Match three awards.
#3 India registered their biggest win margin against Pakistan in ODIs
Rohit Sharma and company registered their biggest win over arch-rivals Pakistan on Monday at the R. Premadasa Stadium when they beat them by 228 runs. It is the Men in Blue's biggest win in terms of runs over Babar Azam and company in ODI history.
The previous defeat by the biggest margin was 140 runs when India stunned Pakistan in Mirpur in 2008. It was the second match of the Kitply Cup when the Men in Blue posted 330/8 in their 50 overs before bowling out Pakistan for just 190.
#4 Highest partnership in India vs Pakistan ODIs
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul stitched together an unbeaten 233-run partnership for the third wicket against Pakistan in Colombo. Both scored centuries as India posted a mammoth 356/2 in their 50 overs.
It is the highest partnership ever recorded in an India vs Pakistan ODI game. The previous best was between Sachin Tendulkar and Navjot Singh Sidhu when they added 231 runs for the second wicket in Sharjah in 1996.
Tendulkar scored 118, while Sidhu smashed 101 to propel the Men in Blue to 305/5. In reply, Pakistan could only muster 277 runs, losing the match by 28 runs. Tendulkar also picked up two wickets in that match.
Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma's 210-run stand for the first wicket at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium during the 2018 Asia Cup occupies the third spot.
Dhawan scored 114, while Rohit remained unbeaten on 111 as the Men in Blue chased down 238 runs in just 39.3 overs to win the match by nine wickets.
#5 KL Rahul becomes the fifth fastest India batter to score 2,000 ODI runs
Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul had a resounding comeback to the Indian team from a long injury layoff. The right-handed batter registered his sixth ODI hundred to cement his place in the side ahead of the World Cup, starting next month.
In the process, Rahul also eclipsed 2,000 ODI runs. He became the fifth-fastest to reach the landmark, achieving the feat in 53 innings.
Kohli sits fourth in the list reaching the landmark in his 53rd innings, much like KL Rahul. Navjot Singh Sidhu (52 innings), Sourav Ganguly (52 innings), and Shikhar Dhawan (48 innings) occupy the third, second, and first spots, respectively.