What is Virat Kohli’s record at Vizag in ODIs?

Team India and Virat Kohli are all set to feature in a series-deciding clash of the ongoing series against South Africa, as the two sides will cross swords in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Vizag, Visakhapatnam on Saturday, December 6. This will be the eighth match for Virat Kohli at the venue in the 50-over internationals.

The game will be a special one for Virat, as he returns to bat at one of his most happy-hunting venues in white-ball cricket. For the unversed, no batter has scored more runs than the New Delhi-born in Visakhapatnam, defining the legacy that he has cemented at the iconic stadium courtesy of his brilliance with the bat. 

Also known as the Run Machine, Virat is also the only batter to have crossed the 400-run mark in ODIs at this venue, having played seven matches here for his 587 runs. The second best on the list is Rohit Sharma, who has 355 runs at an average of 59.16 at Vizag. Virat, on the other hand, is in a whole different league, averaging a mind-boggling 97.83 in the seven outings.

Most runs in ODIs at Vizag

He is also the only Indian batter with multiple hundreds here, with three out of his 53 ODI tons coming here in Vizag. Two of these have come against Australia, with the first one being in 2010, when he made 118 against the Kangaroos, the then highest score in the format for the modern-day master. He returned to the venue a year later against the same opposition to score 117 this time.

He bettered his stats at Vizag in 2018 for his third century at the venue, which came in the year 2018 – a phase that saw the peak of the ace batter for the Men in Blue. This knock came against the West Indies, as Virat scored 157* off just 129 balls, laced with thirteen fours and four maximums, remaining unbeaten as India posted 321 in the first innings, a match that was tied later.

With the upcoming match against South Africa, Virat is expected to be at his best once again in Vizag, and has an excellent opportunity to get more runs under his belt. He is also in exceptional form at the moment, coming on the back of two back-to-back centuries, and the fans will definitely be praying for the third on Saturday. Virat will also want to score runs in a winning cause, as it will also award his side a 2–1 win.