Mohammad Kaif Highlights Virat Kohli's Edge Over Rohit Sharma in ODIs
Kohli's Consistency Sets Him Apart
In a recent discussion, former cricketer and now commentator Mohammad Kaif emphasized that Virat Kohli's ability to convert starts into significant scores gives him an advantage over Rohit Sharma in One Day Internationals (ODIs).
Kaif's remarks came just before the second ODI match between India and New Zealand, scheduled for Wednesday.
He stated, "Virat Kohli has a knack for turning 30s and 40s into match-winning innings. When he finds his rhythm, he becomes a formidable force. This is why he consistently outperforms Rohit Sharma in ODIs. His ability to score runs and play substantial innings is evident. After getting out in the first ODI, Kohli was visibly frustrated, indicating he regretted his shot selection," during his commentary on his YouTube channel.
In the first ODI, Kohli was awarded Player of the Match for his impressive 93 runs, which played a crucial role in India's four-wicket victory while chasing a target of 300 runs.
As the second ODI approaches, Kohli is on the brink of achieving a remarkable milestone among Indian batsmen.
The 37-year-old is in exceptional form, having recorded five consecutive scores of fifty or more in ODIs, a streak that began during the final ODI against Australia in Sydney and continued with his stellar performance in the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara, where he scored 93 off 91 balls, including eight fours and a six.
Currently, he is tied with Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane, all of whom have five successive ODI fifty-plus scores. A single half-century would make him the first Indian batter to achieve six consecutive fifty-plus scores in ODIs.
On the global stage, Pakistan's Javed Miandad holds the record with nine consecutive fifty-plus scores, followed by Imam-ul-Haq with seven. Other notable players with six consecutive fifty-plus scores include Kane Williamson, Shai Hope, Babar Azam, Paul Stirling, Ross Taylor, and Chris Gayle.
In his last five ODIs, Kohli has amassed 469 runs at an impressive average of 156.33, including two centuries and three fifties. If we factor in his two innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Delhi, where he scored 131 and 77, he has achieved seven consecutive fifty-plus scores in List-A cricket.
Overall, Kohli has accumulated 677 runs in these seven innings, boasting an average of 135.4, with three centuries and four fifties.
The squads for the upcoming match are as follows:
India Squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Ayush Badoni, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel.
New Zealand Squad: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay(w), Michael Bracewell(c), Zakary Foulkes, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Adithya Ashok, Jayden Lennox, Nick Kelly, Josh Clarkson, Michael Rae.