Indian Batsman Kohli closing on WI Viv Richards record
Prolific India batsman Virat Kohli is closing in on a record held by Windies legend Sir Viv Richards as he continues to dominate the bating during the ongoing tour of South Africa.
Kohli, who has hit a real purple patch of form, has scored 830 runs in South Africa so far and is just 130 runs shy of matching the record created by Richards, 42 years ago.
Richard set the mark during the West Indies tour of England in 1976, where he scored 1045 runs after amassing 829 runs in five Test matches and 216 runs in three ODIs. The batsman remains the only player to score over 1000 runs in a series.
Kohli scored 286 runs in the three-match Test series, and 558 runs in ODIs. The 29-year old then scored 26 runs in the first T20I bringing his tally to 870 runs. With two T20s left and given Kohli’s current form, the India skipper might well be the second batsman after Richards to break the 1000-run barrier in a single series but it won’t be easy.
With a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series, India will look to seal the series at Centurion on February 21. The final T20I will be played at Cape Town on February 24. (SportsMax)