Virat Kohli Breaks Ricky Ponting's Record Of Most 50+ Scores In...

Virat Kohli walked out to bat at No. 3 for India in the third ODI against South Africa on Saturday (December 6) and remained unbeaten on 65 runs from 45 balls. The legendary Indian batter hammered 6 fours

and 3 sixes during his stay at the crease and added 116 runs for the second wicket with Yashasvi Jaiswal (116 not out) to help India chase down the target of 271 runs in 39.5 overs and secure a big win by 9 wickets in the series decider. In the winner’s take-it-all contest, Kohli didn’t get a chance to score three ODI centuries in a row for the second time in his career, but he still managed to break an elite record which was previously held by former Australia skipper and legendary batter Ricky Ponting.

The half-century by Kohli in the third and final ODI of the bilateral home series helped him break Ponting’s record of most 50+ scores in ODIs against the Proteas.

The third India-South Africa ODI in Visakhapatnam was Kohli’s 34th 50-over match against the Proteas, and he has scored at least 50 runs 16 times now in ODIs against them. Kohli has 7 centuries and 9 half-centuries in ODIs against the rainbow nation, whereas during his playing days, Ponting crossed the 50-run mark 15 times in ODIs against South Africa.

Most 50+ scores in ODIs against South Africa

PLAYER	COUNTRY	MATCHES	RUNS	50+ SCORES
Virat Kohli	India	34	1806	16
Ricky Ponting	Australia	48	1879	15
Kumar Sangakkara	Sri Lanka	44	1789	15
Rahul Dravid	India	36	1309	14
Steve Waugh	Australia	47	1581	14

Kohli kicked off the home series against South Africa on November 30 with 13 50+ scores. But in the three ODIs played in front of home fans, he registered scores of 135, 102 and 65 not out.

Kohli, who is arguably the greatest ODI batter of all time, has scored 1806 runs in 34 ODIs played so far against South Africa. Only three batters – Sachin Tendulkar, Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara – have scored more runs in the 50-over format of the game against the Proteas.

Tendulkar, who holds the record for scoring the most runs in ODI cricket, is the only batter in the world to score more than 2000 runs in one-day matches against the South African team, which is yet to win an ICC ODI World Cup title.