India may have ended the England tour with a 2-1 ODI series defeat, but the third ODI at Lord's on July 19 offered another reminder of the importance of Rohit
Sharma and Virat Kohli in the 50-over format.
While Rohit's century grabbed the headlines, his partnership with Kohli quietly produced another significant milestone. The duo registered their 21st century partnership in ODIs, overtaking Sri Lanka's legendary pair of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara (20) to move into second place on the all-time list.
Only Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, who put together 26 century stands during one of the most successful opening partnerships in cricket history, now remain ahead of the Indian pair.
A Partnership Built Over More Than a Decade
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli first batted together in ODIs in 2013. Since then, they have shared the responsibility of rebuilding innings, chasing daunting totals and laying the platform for India's biggest victories.
Unlike many successful batting pairs who occupied fixed batting positions, Rohit and Kohli have partnered across different phases of India's ODI evolution. Rohit transformed into one of the game's greatest opening batters, while Kohli continued to dominate at No. 3, allowing their partnership to flourish for over a decade.
Their latest century stand at Lord's followed the same pattern. Rohit dominated the scoring with a fluent 138, while Kohli anchored the innings with another composed knock, ensuring India remained in contention despite the challenging target of 388.
Although the chase ultimately fell short, the partnership added another milestone to an already remarkable record.
Second Only to Tendulkar and Ganguly
The latest century stand takes Rohit and Kohli to second on the list of most 100-plus partnerships in ODI cricket.
| Rank | Batting Pair | 100+ Partnerships |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar - Sourav Ganguly | 26 |
| 2 | Rohit Sharma - Virat Kohli* | 21 |
| 3 | Tillakaratne Dilshan - Kumar Sangakkara | 20 |
| 4 | Rohit Sharma - Shikhar Dhawan | 18 |
| 5 | Adam Gilchrist - Matthew Hayden | 16 |
*Active players
Considering both remain active in ODI cricket, Tendulkar and Ganguly's long-standing record of 26 century partnerships is now within striking distance.
Kohli Closes in on Tendulkar's Individual Record
The partnership milestone also helped Kohli edge closer to another historic landmark. The talismanic batter has now been involved in 87 century partnerships in ODI cricket, second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 99. Rohit, meanwhile, occupies third place with 73.
Unlike records that focus solely on runs or centuries, these numbers underline consistency over a prolonged period. They reflect a batter's ability to build substantial partnerships irrespective of the batting position or the partner at the other end.
| Rank | Batter | 100+ Partnerships |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | 99 |
| 2 | Virat Kohli* | 87 |
| 3 | Rohit Sharma* | 73 |
| 4 | Ricky Ponting | 72 |
| 5 | Kumar Sangakkara | 67 |
*Active players
Their Record Is About Longevity as Much as Runs
The significance of Rohit and Kohli's partnership lies not just in the number of century stands but in the period over which they have achieved them.
Their first hundred partnership came in 2013. More than a decade later, they continue to feature among the world's most productive ODI combinations despite changes in India's batting order, leadership and coaching staff.
They have put together century stands in successful chases, while batting first, in ICC tournaments and in bilateral series across continents. Few partnerships have sustained such consistency while adapting to the changing demands of ODI cricket.
Questions about the future of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have become more frequent over the past year, particularly with India's transition towards a younger core in white-ball cricket.
Yet their performance at Lord's suggested there is still plenty of value in their experience. More importantly, the numbers indicate that one of ODI cricket's greatest partnerships is not finished yet.
