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Master of ODI run-chases: Virat Kohli's dominance in numbers
Virat Kohli has been a class apart in ODI run-chases

Master of ODI run-chases: Virat Kohli's dominance in numbers

Dec 07, 2025
09:49 pm

What's the story

Indian batter Virat Kohli has once again activated his beast mode. The 37-year-old was adjudged the Player of the Series after recording three back-to-back 50-plus scores against South Africa, including two tons. His 65* (45) in a crucial run-chase in the Vizag decider brought back the memories of his staggering 2016 season. Kohli, the modern-day master, is certainly a class apart in ODI run-chases.

Stats

Over 8,200 runs in chases

Kohli recently became the second-highest run-scorer (14,557) in ODI history and is now only behind Sachin Tendulkar (18,426). As many as 8,203 of Kohli's runs have come in run-chases, in just 162 ODI innings. Notably, Tendulkar took 232 innings to score 8,720 while batting second. Kohli averages 65.10, the highest for anyone with 3,500 runs in ODI chases, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Information

Record 28 tons for Kohli 

Kohli is the only batter with over 20 centuries in ODI run-chases. And he has 28 of them. Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma trail Kohli in this regard with 17 hundreds each. Kohli also has 43 half-centuries while batting second.

Successful chases

Kohli in successful run-chases

Time and again, Kohli has displayed his masterclass in getting India home with the bat. He is the only player to have scored 6,000-plus runs in successful run-chases (ODIs). With 6,137 runs from 103 innings, he averages an astronomical 90.25. Kohli is well clear of any batter in terms of ODI tons in successful run-chases (24). No other player has even 15 such hundreds.

Numbers

Exceptional numbers: Home vs away

Kohli averages a magnificent 84.09 in successful run-chases in home ODIs. He has scored 2,775 runs in this regard, the most for a player. He is the only player to have slammed 10-plus ODI tons in successful run-chases (11). Similarly, Kohli is the only player with more than 2,000 ODI runs in successful run-chases away from home. He owns 10 tons in this regard.

Records

Other notable records of Kohli

Have a look at Kohli's ODI averages against each major side in successful run-chases (10-plus matches) - Australia: 75.38, England: 85.14, New Zealand: 67.66, Sri Lanka: 95.84, and West Indies: 77.75. According to ESPNcricinfo, Kohli is the only player with over 5,000 ODI runs (5,078) while batting at No. 3 in successful run-chases. Ricky Ponting follows him with 3,852 runs.