Virat Kohli: A statistical breakdown of his ODI career
Virat Kohli is regarded as one of the modern greats of the gentleman's game. While the Indian captain has been a consistent performer across all formats, he has truly mastered the art of batsmanship in ODI cricket, especially while chasing.
Kohli's numbers in the ODI game are par excellence. He has amassed 11867 runs in the 248 matches he has represented the country in. These runs have come at an outstanding average of 59.33, while his 43 centuries are second only to the great Sachin Tendulkar.
On that note, let us take a look at the statistical breakdown of Virat Kohli's illustrious ODI career till date.
A statistical breakdown of Virat Kohli's ODI performances
#1: Performances against all oppositions
Kohli has been most prolific against the West Indies, with 2235 career runs against them. Among the major cricketing nations, the Indian captain has scored the least runs against Pakistan, but that is primarily because he has played only 13 matches against India's arch-rivals.
Kohli has a stupendous average against all countries. While he averages the best against Bangladesh (75.55), he has been least consistent against England with an average of 45.3, which in itself is considered a very respectable average in ODI cricket.
West Indies has also been Kohli's favoured nation in terms of centuries, with 9 of his 43 hundreds coming against them. Again, he has been least productive against Pakistan in terms of the number of centuries.
Despite limited opportunities to play against Pakistan, Kohli's highest ODI score of 183 came against India's western neighbours.
#2: Performances across years
Kohli scored the most runs in a calendar year in 2017, with 1460 runs coming from his blade in that year. Apart from the first two years of his career (and the current year), during which he played only a limited number of matches, he has scored at least 600 runs in every calendar year.
Apart from a minor blip in 2015, Kohli has also averaged above 40 since the time he became a regular member of India's ODI team. This demonstrates his consistency over the years.
Kohli amassed 6 centuries each in 2017 and 2018, the most by him in any calendar year. Apart from 2008 and the current year, the only two instances where he has played less than 10 matches, the Indian captain has scored at least one century in every calendar year.
Kohli's highest score of 183 came against Pakistan in the year 2012. This knock, that came in the Asia Cup at Dhaka, helped India chase down a mammoth target of 330 runs with 6 wickets to spare.
#3: Performances while batting first vs chasing
Kohli is known as the master of the chase and the same is reflected in his statistics as well. He has scored 7039 of his total runs while chasing, which is almost 60% of the total runs he has scored.
The Delhiite's proficiency while chasing is even more evident by his average of 68.33, almost 20 points more than his average while setting a target.
Even in terms of centuries, 26 of the 43 hundreds scored by Kohli have come in run chases.
While the Indian captain has a highest score of 183 while chasing, an unbeaten 160 is the most runs he has scored while setting a target.
#4: Performances based on venues
Kohli has almost an equal number of runs in home and away conditions. While 4884 of his runs have come away from home, 4865 have runs been scored in India.
The Indian captain has been his consistent self in all conditions, as can be seen by his averages at home, away, or neutral venues.
He also has an almost equal number of centuries in home and away conditions.
His highest score of 183 against Pakistan came in Dhaka, a neutral venue.
#5: Performances based on match results
Kohli has scored a whopping 72% of his runs in matches won by India. While he has scored 202 runs in the 5 matches that ended in a tie, 90 runs have come in the few matches that ended without a result.
His average of 77.37 in Indian wins showcases his telling impact in such matches.
He has scored 35 of his 43 centuries in Indian victories, the most centuries in a winning cause in ODI cricket.
Kohli scored an unbeaten 157 in India's tied encounter against West Indies at Vizag in 2018. He has twice scored 123 runs in a losing cause, first against New Zealand at Napier in 2014 and then against Australia at Ranchi in 2019.
