Has Virat Kohli conquered New Zealand conditions in ODIs?
What's the story
Team India has named its squad for the upcoming five-match ODI series against New Zealand. The first ODI will be played in Auckland on November 4, a day before Virat Kohli's 38th birthday. The batting talisman, who is probably on his last tour of New Zealand, would want to make a significant mark. On this note, we look at Kohli's ODI numbers on NZ soil.
Stats
Kohli averages nearly 50 in NZ
Across 13 innings of as many games, Kohli has scored 596 runs in the nation at an average of 49.66, as per Cricinfo.
Among visiting batters with as many or more runs than Kohli in NZ, only South Africa's AB de Villiers (119), India's Virender Sehwag (54.36), Pakistan's Ramiz Raja (50.78), and Zimbabwe's Andy Flower (49.75) boast better averages.
Kohli's strike rate in the nation is also a healthy 91.41.
Scores
Solitary ton in the nation
While Kohli has recorded five scores of 50-plus in NZ, only one of them has been converted into a ton.
It was a 111-ball 123 in the 2014 Napier affair. Meanwhile, he has been dismissed under 37 just four times in the nation.
Though India lost the 2014 ODI series in NZ by a 0-4 margin, Kohli recorded three 75-plus scores across five outings.
Information
Two neutral ODIs in New Zealand
While 11 of Kohli's 13 ODIs in New Zealand have been against the home team, the star batter has also played a couple of neutral matches here - both during the 2015 World Cup. He made an unbeaten 44 against Ireland in Hamilton and followed it up with a 38 against Zimbabwe in Auckland.