India skipper Virat Kohli will end the year 2020 as one in which he failed to score a single century in One-Day Internationals for the first time since his debut year in 2008. This is also the first time since 2008 that Kohli has featured in less than 10 ODIs in a calendar year.
Over the years, the talismanic Indian batsman has built himself into the sole challenger to Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI records, especially the number of centuries. While the former India batsman scored 49 centuries in his stellar career, Kohli is just six short of the mark at 43.
The 32-year-old could have got his 44th ton on Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the second ODI against Australia but fell short by 11 runs. In Wednesday’s game, he made 63, his 60th half-century, and became the fastest to get to 12,000 runs trumping Tendulkar’s record.
Although Covid-19 caused disruption allowing Kohli to play just nine ODIs — the least since his debut year 2008 when he played just five — the India skipper’s batting average this year is also the lowest since 2011. He finishes 2020 with an average of 47.88 which is his fourth-lowest in a calendar year.
Before this, it was only in his early years – 2008, 2010, and 2011 that his batting average for a calendar year was restricted below 50. Kohli’s average never went below 50 between the years 2012 and 2019.
