Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, two of India’s main batsmen in limited-overs cricket, have ended 2019 as the joint highest run-getters in T20 internationals. India played their last T20I of the year and also of the decade on Wednesday in Wankhede, in which both the batsmen came out all guns blazing.
Going into the game, Virat was one run ahead of Rohit. After West Indies won the toss and put India to bat first, Virat’s deputy scored 71 while the captain scored an unbeaten 70 and as a result, both are tied at 2,633 runs each in T20Is.
The Indian skipper took 70 innings to get to these number of runs, at an average of 52.66. Rohit, on the other hand, took 96 innings to at an average of 32.10. While Virat has scored 24 half-centuries in his T20I career so far, Rohit has hit 19.
On the list of the highest run-getters in T20Is, New Zealand’s Martin Guptill sits at the third spot with 2,436 runs, followed by Shoaib Malik (2,263) and Brendon McCullum (2,140).
In the third and final T20I, India posted a mammoth total of 240/3, thanks to the top ordered that scored the bulk of the runs – Rohit Sharma (71), KL Rahul (91) and Virat Kohli (70*). Rohit also became the first Indian batsman to hit 400 international sixes. The visitors, in reply, could manage only 173/8 in their 20 overs and lost the match by 67 runs.
Virat was a happy man after winning the series and dedicated it to wife Anushka as a gift for their second marriage anniversary.
“It was a pretty special inning and also being our second wedding anniversary, it was a special gift. It was a special night and one of the best innings I have played. And batting first we won, feels really good,” Virat Kohli said.
India are now scheduled to play three-match ODI series against West Indies beginning Sunday in Chennai. After that, they will play three T20Is against Sri Lanka in early January next year.
