The race for records between Indian skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma is helping India quite a lot especially in the shortest format of the game. If Kohli achieves a new milestone in T20 internationals, one can be sure that Rohit will match it with another record.
During the India-New Zealand T20I game played Sunday at the Bay Oval, opener Rohit went past another of Virat Kohli’s record. In the game Rohit scored 60 before retiring with an injury. Well it meant that in the course of the innings Rohit scored 50 runs or more in T20Is 25 times, one more than Kohli whose 50 and above scores have come on 24 occasions.
Rohit has 21 T20Is 50 under his belt and four centuries which takes his tally of 50-plus scores to 25. Even though Kohli has 70 centuries (27 in Tests and 43 in ODIs) he is yet to get a T20 hundred. On that aspect also Rohit has left his skipper far behind.
Rohit’s 25 50-plus scores in T20 internationals are the most by any batsman. He is now followed by Kohli with 24 half centuries. New Zealand’s Martin Guptill and Ireland’s Paul Stirling are tied at third place with 17 50-plus scores while Australian David Warner is fifth with 16 half centuries.
It should also be stated here that Kohli was rested for the game played Sunday as India had already taken an unassailable 4-0 lead in the five-game series.
However, in the coming days, India will play a large number of games in the shortest format keeping in mind the T20 World Cup which will be played later in the year. As long as the healthy competition between Kohli and Rohit continues, it will certainly benefit Team India.
PNN & Agencies