Virat Kohli Fastest to 60 Tons, Breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s Record

Kohli also became the 2nd batsman after Tendulkar to score over 2,000 runs in a calendar year for a record 5th time.

Virat Kohli after reaching his century against West Indies in the first ODI at Guwahati on Sunday. 

(Photo: AP)

India skipper Virat Kohli has made it a habit to cross a milestone in every single match he plays. On Sunday against West Indies in the first ODI at Guwahati, Kohli became the fastest cricketer to score 60 international hundreds.

In the process, he broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record, who took 426 innings whereas Kohli reached the landmark in 40 fewer innings. Kohli, who has now scored 36 ODI and 24 Test centuries, is the fifth cricketer to hit 60 international tons.

Kohli, who was eventually dismissed for 140, also equalled another record set by Tendulkar of scoring more than 2,000 international runs in a calendar year for India for a record fifth time.

Apart from Tendulkar & Kohli, Sourav Ganguly (4) and Rahul Dravid (3) are the other two Indian cricketers, who have achieved the feat.

In fact, this is the third successive year in which Kohli has amassed more than 2,000 international runs in a calendar year for India.

Virat Kohli en route to his 140.

Earlier, Shimron Hetmyer (106) produced a sensational century as the West Indies bounced back from their Test series debacle to post a challenging 322 for eight.

The 21-year-old left-hander, who led West Indies to their first Under-19 World Cup title in Bangladesh in 2016, put to sword an under strength Indian attack to raise his third ODI hundred.

He punished the Indian bowlers with six fours and as many sixes in his entertaining 78-ball knock.

In absence of their front line pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, who have been rested for first two ODIs, India struggled to contain the run-flow against the Caribbean side.

The bowling looked lacklustre while the fielding was shoddy as India, on a high after their Test series win, seemed to have underestimated their opponents.

The Guyanese lad brought up his half-century in 41 balls and brought up two 50-run plus partnerships with Rovman Powell (22) and skipper Jason Holder (38).

(With inputs from PTI)