5 records smashed by Virat Kohli in 2018

The year 2018 turned out to be another incredible year in the career of the world's best cricketer Virat Kohli. Like every other year, the Indian captain led the blues from the front both as a batsman and as a captain. Kohli started the year on a high note scoring four centuries in the tour of South Africa. He didn't stopped throughout the year and broke a plethora of long-standing records and emulated some of his own ones.

In total, he scored 2735 runs in internationals across all the three formats and unfortunately missed to beat the record held by Kumar Sangakkara for the second time in a row. Sangakkara tops the list having scored 2868 runs in 2014. Also, he scored 11 centuries in the year and climbed to the third spot on the list of most international centuries.

As the year 2018 comes to an end, here are the five big records he smashed in the year.

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#5 Most runs scored in a bilateral series (558 Runs)

Match: 6th ODI, India tour of South Africa at Centurion, Feb 16, 2018

Record Previously held by: Rohit Sharma

In the ODI series against South Africa held in the month of February earlier this year, Virat Kohli scored a mammoth 558 runs in the six matches of the series. With the help of the match-winning knock of 129 runs off 96 balls in the final match of the series, he broke the record for the most runs scored in a bilateral series.

The record was previously held by India's limited overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma. He scored 491 runs in the bilateral series against Australia in 2013. The Australia ODI series of 2013 was a seven-match series. Later this year, Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman scored 515 runs in the five matches bilateral series against Zimbabwe and now sits second on the list behind Kohli.

#4 Most overseas Test runs in a calendar year by an Indian (1138 Runs)

Virat Kohli en route to his knock of 82 at MCG

Match: 3rd Test, India tour of Australia at Melbourne, Dec 26-30 2018

Record Previously held by: Rahul Dravid

Virat Kohli had a great overseas run in 2018 having scored tons of runs in South Africa, England, and Australia. With his innings of 82 against Australia in Melbourne Kohli ended up scoring 1138 overseas Test runs in the year. On the way, he broke the record for the most overseas Test runs in a calendar year by an Indian. He, unfortunately, got out on a duck in the second innings which turned out to be his last this year.

Earlier, the record was held by Rahul Dravid who had scored 1137 runs in 2002. Mohinder Amarnath is third on the list with 1065 runs which he scored in 1983. While Sunil Gavaskar is fourth with 918 runs.

#3 Fastest to 1000 ODI runs in a calendar year (11 innings)

Virat Kohli raises his bat after scoring his 37th ODI century

Match: 2nd ODI, West Indies tour of India at Visakhapatnam, Oct 24, 2018

Record Previously held by: Virat Kohli and Hashim Amla

In the second match of the ODI series against West Indies, Virat Kohli played a fabulous match-winning knock of 157 runs of 129 balls. In the middle of the innings, he reached the milestone of scoring 1000 ODI runs in 2018. On the way, he broke the record for the fastest 1000 ODI runs in a calendar year reaching it, in just 11 innings.

He broke the record by a whopping margin of four innings. He emulated his own record which was previously jointly held by him and South African batsman Hashim Amla. Hashim Amla reached the milestone in 15 innings in 2010 while Kohli previously reached it in as many numbers of innings in 2012.

#2 Fastest to 2000 T20I runs (56 innings)

Virat Kohli playing his 56th T20I inning

Match: 1st T20I (D/N), India tour of England at Manchester, Jul 3, 2018

Record Previously held by: Brendon McCullum

It has been over a decade since the T20 internationals were introduced. Ever since its inception, only five batsmen have been able to reach the milestone of 2000 runs. It has been the biggest milestone so far in the T20Is as no player has been able to reach the 3000 runs till now.

In the first match of the T20I series against England, Virat Kohli surpassed 2000 runs mark and became the fastest batsman to reach the milestone, reaching it in 56 innings. Earlier the record was held by former New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum who achieved the feat in 66 innings.

He also became the fourth overall and the first Indian to join the 2000 T20I runs elite club. Later, Rohit Sharma became the second Indian to reach the milestone.

#1 Fastest to 10,000 ODI runs (205 innings)

Kohli acknowledges the crowd on reaching 10,000 ODI runs

Match: 2nd ODI, West Indies tour of India at Visakhapatnam, Oct 24, 2018

Record Previously held by: Sachin Tendulkar

The Indian captain surpassed the 10,000 runs landmark in the second match against West Indies at Visakhapatnam. Kohli reached the milestone in just 205 innings and became the fastest batsman to reach the 10,000 runs in ODI. He broke Sachin Tendulkar's record who took 259 innings to reach the milestone.

He also became only the 13th player to join the elite club of players scoring more than 10,000 ODI runs. Surprisingly a majority of the members of this club are from the Indian subcontinent. He also became only the fifth Indian to cross the landmark joining Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid who crossed the landmark in 259, 263, 273 and 287 innings respectively.