Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli become highest ODI run-getters for 3rd successive year in 2019

Indian captain Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma smashed sparkling half-centuries to engineer a series win over the visiting West Indies team. The two put on an exhibition at the Barabati Stadium in the series-deciding ODI on December 22. The match was also India’s final international game of the year as the ‘Men in Blue’ signed off the decade with yet another series win. During the course of the contest, both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma became the top two highest run-getters in ODIs for the third successive calendar year.

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma became the top two highest run-getters in ODIs for the third successive calendar year

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the 2017 calendar year

In 2017, both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma scored over 1,000 ODI runs and were two of only three batsmen in the world that year to do so. Kohli led the 2017 ODI run-scoring charts with 1,460 runs from 26 matches. He averaged 76.84. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma was second on the list with 1,293 runs from 21 innings. Sharma also slammed the third ODI double-century of his career in the same year.

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the 2018 calendar year

They continued scoring runs and the duo boosted their averages in the following year. Once again, Virat Kohli was at the top of the run-aggregator's chart. He was followed by his deputy Rohit Sharma at the second spot. Kohli’s record in 2018 was unmatched in many ways as he scored runs at a staggering average of 133.55. He scored 1,202 runs in just 14 innings while adding six centuries and three half-centuries to his overall tally. Rohit Sharma also remained at his imperious best with 1,030 runs from 19 innings at 73.57.

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the 2019 calendar year

Then came 2019 and the duo ended their third successive year in ODI cricket occupying the top two spots. Only this time, Rohit Sharma held the number one spot while Kohli had to be content with the number two position. While the Indian skipper scored 1,377 runs from 25 innings at 59.86, Sharma scored 1,490 from 27 innings at 57.30.

The two batsmen also ended 2019 as the top two highest run-getters across all international formats. Only 13 runs separate the two batsmen as they scored buckets of runs in Tests and T20Is as well. Virat Kohli scored 2,455 runs in 2019 while Rohit Sharma was just behind his skipper with 2,442 runs.

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