Virat Kohli is one big innings away from creating a new Indian record as India face New Zealand in the second ODI in Rajkot on Wednesday.The 37-year-old player has scored more than fifty five consecutive times in ODIs. This sequence started in the final ODI against Australia in Sydney and continued in the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara, where he scored 93 runs in 91 balls with the help of eight fours and a six. He scored runs at a strike rate of more than 100.
With five consecutive fifty-plus scores, Kohli is currently on par with Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane among Indian batsmen. A half-century in Rajkot would make him the first Indian batsman to score fifty-plus scores six consecutive times in ODIs.Globally, Pakistan’s Javed Miandad tops the list with nine consecutive fifty-plus scores in ODIs, followed by Imam-ul-Haq with seven. Players who have scored more than fifty ODI scores six consecutive times include Kane Williamson, Shai Hope, Babar Azam, Paul Stirling, Ross Taylor and Chris Gayle.In his last five ODIs, Kohli has scored 469 runs at an average of 156.33, which includes two centuries and three fifties. If his two innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Delhi are added – scores of 131 and 77 – he has seven consecutive fifty-plus scores in List A cricket. In these seven innings, he has scored 677 runs at an average of 135.4, which includes three centuries and four half-centuries.India started the series with a four-wicket win over New Zealand in Vadodara. However, Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the remaining matches of the series due to a side strain.The selectors have included Delhi all-rounder Ayush Badoni in the team in his place. However, in line with head coach Gautam Gambhir’s preference for players with multiple skills, India are likely to include Nitish Kumar Reddy in the playing eleven.