Team India will bank on star India batter's recent ODI form — four centuries in last five innings — in the Sri Lankan capital going into the three-match series
Virat Kohli celebrates his century during an Asia Cup match against Pakistan in Colombo last year. PIC/AFP
India's star batter Virat Kohli loves to bat at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. His impressive record in the Sri Lankan capital will bolster the Indian batting line-up ahead of the ODI series against Sri Lanka, starting Friday.
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The top-order batter has amassed 644 runs, including four centuries in 11 matches in the Sri Lankan capital at a superb average of 107.33. Impressively, his four tons in Colombo have come in the last five innings. He smashed three centuries against hosts Sri Lanka, while one came against Pakistan.
He started with a modest show in Colombo, scoring 25, 54, 31 and two not out, against the Lankans in 2008. His first century at one of the oldest venues in the island nation came in 2012. The then 23-year-old’s unbeaten 128 helped India chase Sri Lanka’s 251-8 comfortably with six wickets in hand and 46 balls to spare to seal the five-match ODI series. There was no looking back for the then India captain as he went on to score 131 and 110 not out in the fourth and fifth ODI in 2017, leading India to a 5-0 whitewash against Sri Lanka. His last of the four centuries — 122 not out — helped India post a massive 356-2 in an Asia Cup match against Pakistan, thus helping the team win by a huge 228-run margin.
Kohli’s impressive 494 in the last five innings in Colombo, at an extraordinary average of 247.00, will undoubtedly boost his and team’s momentum with all three games of the ODI series being played there. Indian fans will hope that the 35-year-old, who has 80 international centuries, adds at least two more to his tally, inching closer to the record-equalling 100 centuries.
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