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After a shaky beginning in the opening clash against South Africa, Virat Kohli found his rhythm again with a strong 82-run performance in India's victory over Australia. Now, as India prepares to face New Zealand at Trent Bridge this Thursday (June 13, 2019), the captain will be aiming to build on that form and notch his first century of the campaign.
Kohli's brilliance is well-documented, reflected in his impressive career ODI average of 59.47. Yet, he seems even more lethal against New Zealand, where his average climbs to a staggering 68.52. Over 22 encounters with the Kiwis, he has amassed 1,302 runs, featuring five hundreds and seven fifties, with a top score of 154 not out. Interestingly, he also scores faster against them, maintaining a strike rate of 96.44 compared to his overall career average of 92.93.
He has consistently performed well against New Zealand's primary pace attack. Although Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson have managed to get him out twice and once respectively, Kohli has maintained a strike rate above 100 against both. His record against Matt Henry is even more dominant; in 38 deliveries faced, Henry has failed to take his wicket a single time, with Kohli scoring 35 runs at a steady rate of 92.11.
Take a look at how he fares against the rest of the New Zealand bowling lineup —
46 balls
53 runs
SR of 115.22
1 dismissal
186 balls
131 runs
SR of 70.43
1 dismissal
It appears the Kiwi bowlers struggle to find a way past him. While he slows down significantly when facing Mitchell Santner, the fact that he has only been dismissed once in 186 balls shows how effectively he neutralizes Santner's threat. Given these trends, all signs point toward another massive score from Kohli in the upcoming game.
Written by: Prasenjit Dey