Kohli: the most prolific batsman after 200 ODIs

Virat Kohli is reaching new highs with almost every match, with every ODI century. In the series opener against New Zealand at the Wankhede, the India captain brought up his 31st century playing in his 200th ODI. He became only the second batsman after AB de Villiers to get to a century in the 200th ODI. He's now the second-highest hundreds scorer in ODI history behind only Sachin Tendulkar's 49 tons. Kohli has got there playing just 200 games. No other batsman has had better career figures than Kohli after their 200th ODI.

With 8888 runs at average of 55.55 and 31 centuries, Kohli has the most runs, best average and highest number of centuries for any batsman when completing 200 ODIs. Previously de Villiers was the most prolific batsman in his first 200 ODIs, having 8621 runs at 54.56 with 24 centuries. Currently, Hashim Amla has 26 centuries in just 158 matches with 7381 runs at 51.25. Among India players Sourav Ganguly had the most runs (7747) and joint-most centuries with Tendulkar (18) at that stage of the career. The Indian duo averaged 43.03 and 41.74 respectively at that point of their careers.

In getting to his 31st century, in humid conditions, Kohli batted almost the whole innings - he came in in the sixth over and was dismissed in the 50th. The second-highest scorer for India made 84 runs fewer than Kohli. Kohli's contribution of 43.21% of the runs India scored in this innings was his second-highest contribution percentage-wise among his 12 century innings in the first innings. This was the fourth time India scored less than 300 in first innings of an ODI that included a century by Kohli, and three of these instances have come in last 24 months.

Kohli's numbers have only got better and better as his career has progressed. He had averaged 45.67 in his first block of 50 ODIs, 51.81 in the second, 57.83 in the third and 68.10 in the fourth set of 50 ODIs. The past two years - 2016 and 2017 - have been particularly highly productive for him: he has amassed 2057 runs in 34 innings in this period, at an average of 82.28 and a strike rate at 99.03 including ten centuries.

Previously, Kohli had more of an influence while chasing targets. But in recent years, he has contributed in both innings. Till end of 2015, his second innings average (61.34) was 22.31 runs better than in the first (39.03). But the numbers have changed. Since 2016 he averages 74.58 when batting first and 89.38 when chasing, which is a difference of 14.80. He had taken 7.67 innings per century in first innings' of games till 2015 but that rate has gone down to 4.67 since then. Last year he had made 50-plus in each of the four innings in which India batted first, this year he has done it five times in 10 innings.