IND vs NZ ODI: Virat Kohli Smashes 85th International Century, Overtakes Sehwag and Ponting

In the third ODI played at Indore's Holkar Stadium on Sunday, Virat Kohli once again showcased his batting magic. With a thunderous century, he not only put India in a commanding position but also achieved several major milestones. Kohli reached his hundred off just 91 balls, smashing 8 fours and 2 sixes. This was his 54th ODI century and his 85th international century overall.

With this brilliant knock, Virat has further strengthened his dominance against New Zealand. He has now become the batsman with the most centuries against the Kiwis.

Most ODI Centuries Against New Zealand

• Virat Kohli – 7 centuries
• Virender Sehwag – 6 centuries
• Ricky Ponting – 6 centuries
• Sachin Tendulkar – 5 centuries
• Mahela Jayawardene – 5 centuries

Kohli has now overtaken both Virender Sehwag and Ricky Ponting, who were tied at 6 centuries each. By hitting his 7th ton against New Zealand, King Kohli has etched his name in the record books.

Most International Centuries Against New Zealand (across all formats)

Virat's record isn't limited to ODIs only. In international cricket (Test + ODI + T20I), he has now scored 10 centuries against New Zealand – the highest by any batsman.

• Virat Kohli – 10 centuries (73 matches*)
• Joe Root – 9 centuries (71 matches)
• Jacques Kallis – 9 centuries (76 matches)
• Sachin Tendulkar – 9 centuries (80 matches)

With this achievement, Kohli has surpassed Joe Root, Jacques Kallis, and Sachin Tendulkar.

Virat’s red-hot form and the big target ahead

Virat has been in sensational form for quite some time now. This purple patch began during last year’s Australia tour and continued with him topping the run charts in the South Africa ODI series. Against New Zealand, he narrowly missed a century in the first match (by just 7 runs), scored only 23 in the second, but made full use of the opportunity in the third by producing a masterclass.

With his 85th international century, Kohli is now just 15 hundreds away from Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record of 100 international centuries. If he continues at this pace, experts believe Sachin’s iconic world record could be broken in the near future.

Most International Centuries by a Batsman (Updated)

• Sachin Tendulkar – 100
• Virat Kohli – 85
• Ricky Ponting – 71
• Kumar Sangakkara – 63
• Jacques Kallis – 62
• Joe Root – 60

This century was also Kohli’s 41st on Indian soil, further underlining his incredible record at home.