A “Virat Kohli Special” powered India to a 67-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international of their recently concluded three-match series. India posted a massive first-innings total of 373/7 thanks to the maestro’s scintillating hundred.
Kohli was fortunate to be dropped twice, on 52 and 81, respectively, but he made the most of the reprieves to score his 45th century in an ODI. King Kohli’s rapid scoring made him immediately appear at ease. His 87-ball 113-run innings enabled India to nearly out-bat Sri Lanka in the first innings.
Kohli scored a century in the third ODI against Bangladesh in December 2022, making this his second consecutive century. One of the most encouraging signs for Indian cricket ahead of the 2023 50-over World Cup is his good form in ODI cricket.
In light of this, let’s take a look at three instances in ODI cricket when Kohli scored consecutive hundreds.
#1 India’s Tour of Australia, 2016 (117, 106)
India’s ODI series against Australia in 2016 ended in a lopsided 4-1 defeat, largely due to the team’s subpar bowling. However, the beginning of his reign, which will last from 2016 to 2019, was Kohli’s remarkable performance in this series.
After the five-match series, Virat Kohli returned with exceptional scores of 91, 59, 117, 106, and 8. In the third and fourth ODIs of the series, Kohli defeated the formidable Australian team with two centuries each, but he was unable to lead India home in either match. Virat Kohli ruled the cricket world’s batting charts for the next four years and showed no signs of slowing down.
#2 West Indies Tour of India, 2018 (140, 157*, and 107)
During the West Indies tour of India in 2018, Virat Kohli scored runs with the utmost ease, giving the impression that he was from another planet.
Virat Kohli scored scores of 140, 157*, and 107 in the first three one-day internationals of the five-match series. He currently holds the record for the most consecutive ODI centuries.
However, despite his efforts, the Indian team only won one of the three matches: the second one-day international ended in a tie, and the third one-day international ended in a loss for the Indian team.
#3 Australia’s 2019 Tour of India (116 and 123)
“King Kohli” consistently performs admirably against the Australians, and this was just one more instance. Virat Kohli scored 116 in the second one-day international, leading India to a narrow 8-run victory.
All of India’s batters failed in the third ODI as well, but Kohli was on fire. Kohli had 314 to win, but he only managed 123 from 95 balls and lost to Adam Zampa.