Virat Kohli becomes first batter to cross 2000 runs in seven different calendar years

Centurion: Veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli on Thursday became the first batter to amass 2000+ runs in a calendar year for the record seventh time on Day 3 of the first Boxing Day Test at SuperSport Park.

Virat Kohli surpassed Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara who has the second most (six-time) 2000+ runs in a calendar year.

Virat Kohli (1934) needed 66 runs before the IND vs. SA first Test to reach 2000 runs across formats in 2023. In the first inning, the right-handed batter knocked 38 runs. The modern-day great broke yet another record as soon as he hit 28 runs in the second innings.

Kohli also became the leading run-getter for India in South Africa across all formats, going past Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 1724 runs including six hundreds, across all formats for India.

Kohli now has 1750 runs in 29 matches including five hundreds over 50 in South Africa across all formats. The former India captain tops the Indian batting charts in South Africa in ODIs with 898 runs at an average of 74.83.

After conceding a lead of 163 runs in the first innings. Kohli showcased all his experience as he held fort even as the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Yashavi Jaiswal fell early. Shreyas Iyer too did not trouble the scorers much and there was pressure on Kohli as India slipped to 121 for 9, still trailing the Proteas by 42 runs.

–IANS