IND vs NZ, ODI World Cup 2023: Virat Kohli played a match-winning knock of 95 runs in 104 deliveries to help India beat New Zealand in match 21 of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday.

Kohli might have missed out on the 49th ODI century by just five runs but he produced one of the memorable innings played under pressure to take his home.

India successfully chased down the challenging target of 273 runs with four wickets in hand and 12 balls to spare to remain undefeated in the tournament.

India claimed their fifth successive victory to go to the top of the points table by leapfrogging New Zealand with 10 points under their belt.

 

ALSO READ: Lewis Hamilton Charles Leclerc Disqualified From US Grand Prix

 

Apart from victory, the Indian batting duo of Virat and skipper Rohit Sharma brought up personal milestones to strengthen their footing on the list of leading run scorers in the tournament.

 

Virat Kohli achieve multiple milestones

Virat Kohl became the first Indian player to score 3000 runs across all ICC white-ball tournaments, which include the 50-over World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy.

With 1384 runs in 31 World Cup matches at an impressive average of 55.36, Kohli became the fourth-highest run-getter in the history of the tournament with three centuries and nine fifties to his name.

Kohli has scored 529 runs in 13 matches in the Champions Trophy with an average of 88.16 including five fifties in 12 innings. His highest score in this competition is 96*. In 27 T20 World Cup matches, Kohli has accumulated 1,141 runs at a remarkable average of 81.50.

The former Indian skipper surpassed the legendary Sei Lankan batter Sanath Jayasuriya (who scored 13,430 runs) to become the fourth-highest run-scorer in ODIs. In a stellar ODI career, Kohli has scored 13,437 runs in 286 matches with a strike rate of 93.69. His ODI record boasts 48 centuries and 69 half-centuries, with the highest score being 183.

Kohli has also become the batter with the joint-second highest number of 50+ in World Cup history (12). He went past Ricky Ponting and Rohit Sharma, both with 11 fifty-plus scores and equaled Kumar Sangakkara and Shakib Al Hasan for the feat.

Sachin Tendulkar tops the chart with 21-fifty plus scores to his name.

 

Rohit Sharma Surpasses AB de Villiers For This Feat

On the other hand, Indian captain Rohit Sharma played a promising knock of 46 runs and laid the foundation for his team's run chase.

In a remarkable feat, he surpassed South Africa batter AB de Villiers’ tally of sixes in the ICC Cricket World Cup during the match against New Zealand in Dharamsala on Sunday.

After smashing Trent Boult for a six in the fifth over of the second innings, which was his 38th in the history of the tournament, he went past de Villiers’ tally of 37.

He is now second on the list of batters with the most sixes in the history of the marquee tournament with Chris Gayle leading the chart with 49 sixes to his name in 35 matches.

 

ALSO READ: Mohammed Shami Goes Past Indian Legend To Shatter This ODI World Cup Record

 

Rohit is also the most prolific six-hitter in international cricket. He earlier surpassed Gayle’s record during India’s World Cup 2023 match against Afghanistan.

 

MOST SIXES IN ODI WORLD CUP HISTORY

Chris Gayle - 49 sixes in 35 matches

Rohit Sharma* - 40 sixes in 22 matches

AB de Villiers - 37 sixes in 23 matches

Ricky Ponting - 31 sixes in 46 matches

Brendon McCullum - 29 sixes in 34 matches

 

Rohit also became the first Indian player, third overall, to hit 50 or more ODI sixes in a calendar year. Only de Villiers and Gayle are the other two batters to have hit more maximums in a calendar year. Rohit achieved the feat after hitting New Zealand pacer Matt Henry for a six in the second over of India's 274-run chase.

 

Batters with 50 ODI sixes in a calendar year

58 - AB de Villiers (2015)

56 - Chris Gayle (2019)

53 - Rohit Sharma (2023)