Virat Kohli Scores 41st ODI Hundred, Fastest To 4,000 Runs As Captain

Virat Kohli brought up his 41st One-day International (ODI) hundred and second of the ongoing five-match series against Australia in Ranchi on Friday. The flamboyant captain raised his bat to acknowledge the applause from the crowd and the dressing room as he brought up his eighth century against Australia. Kohli, who brought up his third ODI hundred of 2019 against Australia, now has the most centuries in the 50-over games between the two countries played in India. The record was previously held by Sachin Tendulkar. 

On Friday, Virat Kohli also became the fourth Indian captain after MS Dhoni, Mohammad Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly to score 4,000 ODI runs. Kohli reached the landmark in his 66th ODI as skipper when he moved to 27 in Ranchi. As India's ODI captain, Virat Kohli has so far scored 19 hundreds with a best score of 160 not out against South Africa.

Kohli, who is second on the list of ODI centuries behind Sachin Tendulkar, now has 5 hundreds against Australia at home in 18 ODIs.

Chasing a stiff target of 314 in the third ODI, India were off to a poor start after losing three early wickets in the form of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu. Kohli and MS Dhoni then stitched together a 59-run partnership to steady the hosts. After Adam Zampa removed Dhoni, Kohli combined forces with Kedar Jadhav to keep India alive in the chase with an 88-run fifth-wicket partnership.

Kohli, who was looking like a man on mission, was finally dismissed for 123 off 95 balls by Zampa.

Earlier, Virat Kohli won the toss and invited Australia to bat.

Riding on a 193-run stand between Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja, Australia posted 313/5 in 50 overs.