Virat Kohli Overtakes Graeme Smith In The List Of ODI Runs As A Captain

India captain Virat Kohli is now the fifth-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket as a captain, overtaking former South Africa skipper, Graeme Smith. Virat Kohli achieved this feat in the second ODI match against England in Pune.

With his 66-run knock on Friday, Virat Kohli has accumulated 5442 runs as a captain in ODIs and surpassed Graeme Smith who had scored 5416 as the Proteas skipper.

Ahead of Kohli, there are 4 other legends – Ricky Ponting (8497), MS Dhoni (6641), Stephen Fleming(6295), and Arjuna Ranatunga (5608). However, his average of 73.54 is significantly better than the other 4 batsmen.

Virat Kohli’s 71st century rut continues

It has been more than a year – November 2019 – since Virat Kohli last notched up a century in international cricket. On Friday, he fell for another half-century – his 17th score of fifty but not converted into a hundred since his last three-figure knock.

India lost Shikhar Dhawan, the Man of the Match in the first ODI, early, and then Rohit Sharma as well inside 10 overs. The 32-year-old continued his brilliant form – Man of the Series in the T20I and another fifty in the first ODI – and built a rescue partnership with KL Rahul, who was promoted to number 4 in place of the injured Shreyas Iyer.

Virat Kohli cantered to his fifty at little less than run-a-ball and was looking ominous for his 71st century. However, Adil Rashid, a nemesis of Kohli, broke the partnership and sent back the Indian skipper.

Rishabh Pant, who has come in the eleven in place of Iyer, walked in and batted with alacrity from the onset. The left-hander brought up his half-century in 28 balls; on the other end, Rahul, who announced his return to form with a fifty in the first ODI, notched up his century as well.

Also Read: IPL 2021: Rishabh Pant Not A Captaincy Option For Delhi Capitals Due To Lack Of Leadership Experience – Reports