Virat Becomes First to Score 500 Runs in a Bilateral ODI Series

Captain Virat Kohli surpassed Rohit Sharma to become the first batsman to score 500 runs in a bilateral ODI series.

Virat Kohli scores his 35th ODI century during India’s sixth and final one-dayer against South Africa on 16 February.

(Photo: BCCI)

India captain Virat Kohli broke yet another record when he became the first ever batsman to score 500 runs in a bilateral ODI series, surpassing teammate Rohit Sharma.

Kohli achieved the stellar feat during his 129-run knock in the sixth and final ODI against South Africa at Centurion on Friday, 16 February. He scored a massive 558 runs in the six ODIs, including three hundreds in the series, to lead from the front. Sharma had collected 491 runs in the six-match home series against Australia in 2013-14.

Kohli also became the the highest-scorer in a bilateral ODI series as captain, leaving behind the likes of Australian George Bailey (478 runs versus India in 2013-14), South African AB de Villiers (367 versus Pakistan in 2012-13 ), de Villiers (358 versus India in 2015-16) and New Zealand skipper Kane Willamson (346 versus Pakistan in 2014-15).

En route his 96-ball knock in the sixth ODI, Kohli became the fastest batsman to reach 17,000 internationals. He achieved the feat in his 363rd innings, 18 less than second-fast Hashim Amla. The South African had reached the landmark after 381 innings.

Virat’s 558 in six matches is second only to Sachin Tendulkar’s 673 for most runs by an Indian batsman in a series. The master blaster had set the record in the 2003 World Cup.

That’s not all. With three hundreds in six games, Virat also became the first Indian captain to score the most centuries in an ODI series.

(With inputs from PTI.)