ROHIT 12,000 AND VIRAT 15,000? WILL THEY OR WILL THEY NOT?

India won a hard-fought series against a quality Australian team by 2-1, once again it was two stalwarts who helped them win the series. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been racking some of the unbelievable numbers; the question arises what records these run-machines will create by the time curtains fall on their sparkling careers which started almost at the same time?

At Bengaluru, India won comfortably to seal the series 2-1; Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli who were at the centre of the run-chase (once again) were quite clinical and had a different approach as they knew India who were short by a batsman, might run into trouble if they got out. After the match Finch appreciated both Virat and Rohit, terming them one of the finest to play a limited-over game. They are two-run making giants who could shake up many records.

Let’s take Rohit Sharma’s career first - he played his first ODI in 2007 at the age of 20 and was termed as a special talent after he played some breath-taking innings in CB Series in Australia in 2008. However, consistency was something which eluded him and on the back of innings, he witnessed several failures, however, unlike some other talented players like Vinod Kambli, Amol Majumdar; Rohit was given many opportunities. Till October 2014, he had played 124 matches with 3479 runs at 35.86, a decent record but not a record which could give him such a long run in a team like India. His success was sporadic, a success in series which would lead to a series of failures. Even in 2013 when he made a massive double-hundred against Australia (scoring 491 in 6 matches at 122.75), he failed in the next 16 matches, scoring just 430 runs, the consistency once again seemed to elude him.

Throwback - Rohit Sharma vs Pakistan in November 2007 at Jaipur 5th Odi of the series 

However, with the series against Sri Lanka in November 2014, the world saw a new Rohit Sharma who hasn’t looked back since then, from that series till now, Rohit has played 100 matches and have made 5636 runs at a remarkable average of 64.64 and have racked up 25 hundreds, compared to just 4 in his first 124 matches; a reason why he sits at No. 2 in batting charts and is respected by opponents as well. At 33, Rohit who has 9115 runs in 224 matches at 49.27, might target the 2023 World Cup on home soil. Considering India might play another 30-40 matches in the next 3 years, Rohit might end up with 12,000-13,000 runs with 40 hundred, a record that will make sure he ends up within the all-time great list of 50 overs game.

He might be eying 2023 World Cup, 12000 Runs on cards ?

On the other hand, Virat Kohli, who has been termed as one of the best to play the 50-overs game and arguably the best all-format batsman of his generation showed the penchant of liking the format right from the beginning. After winning U-19 title in March 2008 as captain, he was immediately drafted in the senior squad in ODI series against Sri Lanka, where he played his first ODI in August 2008. His first series was a decent one as he scored 159 runs in 5 matches at 31.80, after that he couldn’t find a place in a team that was filled with stars. A year later he was called again in September 2009 in Compaq Cup where he played only one match. In Champions trophy, he made an impressive 79* against West Indies but a string of failure against Australia ( 40 runs in 3 matches @ 20) and scores of 27 and 54 in first two matches against Sri Lanka meant he was dropped for bigger names in the third match; he though returned in place of Yuvraj Singh in the fourth game at Eden Gardens a day before Christmas. Chasing a target of 316, India were 23-2 with Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar back in the hut from that juncture, Gautam Gambhir and 21-year-old Virat Kohli made blistering century which helped India won the match and series easily. It was Virat Kohli’s first-ever ton in International Cricket, a star was born on Eden Gardens on the night of 24^th December 2009.

Eden Gardnes- Decemeber 24, 2009 - Virat Kohli's First Hundred vs Sri Lanka - 4th Odi 

Since then Virat Kohli has racked up some unbelievable numbers. Till this date, he has played 245 matches and scored 11,792 runs at a stunning average of 59.85, which is the best average among those who have scored 10,000 runs in ODIs. Along with it, he has scored 43 hundred, the fastest to reach this figure. He sits at No. 6 in the all-time run-scorers list. The players above him have played number of matches; these are the greats of the game who have played during 1990-2010, an era when 50-over game was huge in numbers, however, now the numbers of the games have reduced due to advent of T20 Internationals, as a result of it the chances of going beyond Tendulkar who has 18426 appears slim, especially at a time when Kohli has been playing loads of cricket with hectic schedule.

There are chances that he might give up one format by the time he reaches 35, considering his love for Test Cricket, Virat might give up limited overs format to extend his career in a longer format. That in spite of his enormous success in the format! Considering if India plays 50 matches in the format in next 4 years and Kohli scores at an average of 60, he would be scoring another 3000 runs which means by that time he would have scored 15,000 runs reaching No. 2, with 55-57 centuries to his name, if he continues to score at the same rate.

Virat Kohli will be 34 at 2023 World Cup but Considering the workload, he might give up one of the formats after that

Much will depend on his desire and his body how long Kohli wants to play after that, as like AB de Villiers, he has a huge burden and workload, and the current games’ demand might be too much for him, in spite of an extraordinary fitness. Just like MS Dhoni found in 2014 when he was only 33.

Only time will tell what are the records which these two giants, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will break, till then the world can sit back and enjoy them playing till they are around!