In an illustrious career of two and a half decades, Sachin Tendulkar, nicknamed Master Blaster by his fans and admirers alike, broke and created records as the complete Batsman of all time. The majestic records held by the charismatic Batsman include most fifties, hundreds, runs, and of course, the most man-of-the-match trophies.
His list of achievements in One-Day-International cricket took the game to a new pedestal. The batting run robot has been snatching runs from every opponent on every occasion. As the undisputed king of ODI cricket, Kohli has redefined what it means to be consistent. So, let us now view the three records that Kohli has already surpassed, which Tendulkar could not achieve.
Three consecutive centuries in ODIs
The one and only Indian Batsman Virat Kohli has achieved three straight hundreds in ODI matches. The right-hander batsman scored 140, 157*, and 107 runs in the first three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in the five-match series during the 2018 West Indies tour of India.
However, despite playing 463 games, Tendulkar could not record three straight hundreds in ODI cricket. Tendulkar made two consecutive hundreds against Australia in the Coca-Cola Triangular tournament in 1997–1998. One of the most excellent ODI cricket innings ever was the 143 that he scored during the series, known as the “Desert Storm knock.” He then batted sensationally for 134 to lead India to victory.
500 runs in one bilateral ODI series
The first Indian batter to gather a whopping 500 runs or more during a bilateral ODI series is the unstoppable Kohli. The Indian captain scored an astonishing 558 runs, including three centuries, at an astounding average of 186.00 during India’s tour of South Africa in 2018. India won a record ODI series in South Africa thanks to his incredible coherence and perseverance.
However, during his stellar and outstanding career, Sachin Tendulkar could not score 400 runs in any bilateral ODI series. When India toured England in 2007, he scored 374 runs against them, the highest total he could muster in a bilateral ODI series. In that series, he scored three fifty-sevens, averaging a run amount of 53.43.
Three centuries each in two bilateral ODI series
Now, the most impressive record that Kohli holds is that in two consecutive bilateral ODI series, he is the only Indian Batsman in ODI history to form three centuries on the record book. He recorded ODI series scores of 112, 160, and 129 during India’s 2018 tour of South Africa.
When the West Indies visited India in 2018 for a 5-match ODI series, Kohli slammed three hundred in the opening rounds to finish with 453 runs at an incredible average of 151 runs. On the other hand, Tendulkar only partially managed to achieve three centuries in a single ODI series during his illustrious and distinguished career.