Virat Kohli becomes fastest to score 15,000 runs in international cricket, now third-highest run getter in T20I

IANS

New Delhi: India skipper Virat Kohli celebrated his milestone 50th T20I match notching up a record-scripting 54-ball 82 runs as Team India completed a what has been called as a 'tour-wash' with an impressive seven-wicket victory in the one-off T20 encounter against Sri Lanka at Premadasa Stadium, on Wednesday.

Put to bat first, Sri Lanka put on a fighting total of 170 runs riding on explosive efforts from Dilshan Munaweera (53), who notched up his maiden T20I fifty and Ashan Priyanjan's (40) patient cameo.

Eying a fighting target of 171 runs, Men in Blue lost both their openers, Rohit Sharma (9) and Lokesh Rahul (24) rather early into their innings. Skipper Kohli stepped in next and took complete control of the game rampaging through seven boundaries and one six to notch up his 17th T20I fifty. The 28-year-old stitched a phenomenal 119-run stand for the third wicket alongside Manish Pandey (51) to steer the Indian ship past the 171-run mark.

With his astounding 82 runs against the Islanders in the final match of the tour, Kohli smashed his fourth consecutive fifty against Sri Lanka in the shortest format of the game. In fact, the Delhi-based cricketer equalled his own record of most consecutive fifty-plus scores against a team in T20Is. Virat has four such knocks against Australia too. Adding to it, Kohli also becomes the only Indian skipper to score a fifty in all the three formats of international cricket.

En route to his 54-ball 82, Kohli became the seventh Indian batsman and 33rd overall to breach the 15,000-run mark in international cricket. Coming off in just 333 innings, the Delhi dasher edged past South African batsman Hashim Amla (336) to become the fastest to reach the milestone. Third on the list is Viv Richards (344) and then Mathew Hayden (347). Kohli's run break-up for all three formats ergo stands as – Tests: 4658, ODIs : 8587, T2OIs: 1830. But what would surely put his name on top is that, he is the only batsman on the list with an average of over 50. With 53.44, Kohli stands well clear of legends like Jacques Kallis, Viv Richards and even fellow countryman Sachin Tendulkar.

With his brilliancy with the willow to notch up yet another masterful innings, Kohli amassed a total of 1830 runs in T20Is which took him past Afghanistan's Mohammad Shahzad (1779) and New Zealand's Martin Guptill (1806) on the list of highest run-getters in the shortest format of cricket. He now stands third on the list behind Tillakaratne Dilshan (1889) and Brendon McCullum (2140). Once again, with 53. 82 as his T20I average, Kohli is the only one on the list with average above the 50 mark.

Kohli is often dubbed as the chase master for his wizardy with the willow whilst chasing down a total. And on Wednesday, it was Kohli's effort that helped India complete a perfect tour. Kohli, in fact, overhauled Brendon McCullum to become the batsman with highest runs in T20I chases. He now has 1007 runs in 21 innings at 91.54, while the Kiwi international has 1006 runs in 17 innings. Adding to it, with his 82 runs on the one-off encounter, the skipper surpassed Suresh Raina to become th eleading run scorer in an India-Sri Lanka encounter in the shortest format of the game.

Team India complted the tour with a comprehensive win in the final match of the series to become the first visiting side to complete a 'tour-wash' accounting all three formats of the game.