CricBengal.com | Sports Desk
India are preparing for a five-match ODI series against New Zealand, with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma approaching several significant career milestones. Kohli has an opportunity to surpass former Australia captain Ricky Ponting as the highest run-scorer in men’s ODIs against New Zealand.
Kohli has scored 1,897 runs in 36 ODIs against the Black Caps. Ponting leads the list with 1,971 runs from 51 matches. Kohli therefore needs another 75 runs to move past the Australian great.
Kohli Closing in on Ponting’s Record
The leading run-scorers in men’s ODIs against New Zealand are:
- Ricky Ponting — 1,971 runs
- Virat Kohli — 1,897 runs
- Sachin Tendulkar — 1,750 runs
- Kumar Sangakkara — 1,568 runs
- Sanath Jayasuriya — 1,519 runs
A strong performance in the upcoming series could take Kohli to the top of this list.
Tendulkar’s Record in New Zealand Also in Sight
Kohli is also chasing Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most ODI runs by an Indian batter against New Zealand on New Zealand soil.
Tendulkar scored 652 runs in 18 ODIs in the country. Kohli has 514 runs from 11 matches and needs another 139 to surpass him. Virender Sehwag sits between the two with 598 runs.
Closing in on 1,000 International Runs in New Zealand
Another milestone is within reach for Kohli. He has scored 953 international runs in New Zealand and needs 47 more to reach the 1,000-run mark.
Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Azharuddin have previously crossed that milestone for India in New Zealand.
Kohli Chasing Tendulkar’s ODI Run-Chase Record
Kohli is also closing in on Tendulkar’s record for the most runs scored in ODI second innings. Kohli has accumulated 8,667 runs in 168 second-innings appearances, while Tendulkar finished with 8,720 runs in 232 such innings.
Kohli needs another 54 runs to move ahead of the former India great.
Rohit Sharma Targets Multiple Six-Hitting Records
Rohit Sharma also has several milestones within reach. He has struck 49 sixes in 34 ODIs against New Zealand, just one behind Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, who hit 50 in 38 matches.
Rohit is also closing in on Chris Gayle’s record for the most international sixes against New Zealand. Gayle finished with 87, while Rohit has 83. The India opener needs five more sixes to surpass the former West Indies batter.
There is another notable milestone in sight. If Rohit hits 17 sixes during the five-match series, he will become the first batter to record at least 100 international sixes against three different teams. He has already achieved that mark against Australia and the West Indies.
CricBengal Analysis
The series offers two of India’s most experienced batters an opportunity to add to their records. Kohli is chasing milestones associated with Ponting and Tendulkar, while Rohit has several six-hitting landmarks in sight. Their performances will be among the major individual storylines of the series.
Publisher: CricBengal.com
