Five batsmen with most 50s since Kohli’s last international ton
Every great player is accustomed to go through a phase in their career when they fail to hit centuries and Virat Kohli has joined the list too. The 33-year-old has been a revelation for India in the last decade and has by far, been the best batter across formats in the world.
Kohli has been stuck at 70 international centuries with his last hundred coming against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in India’s first-ever pink-ball Test in 2019. It is time to look at 5 players with the most fifties in all formats since Kohli’s last international century.
15 – Quinton de Kock
South African wicket-keeper batter Quinton de Kock is one of the consistent run-scorers around the world and he can be destructive at the top of the order as well. The elegant left-hander has hit 15 half-centuries since Kohli hit an international century and he was phenomenal in the recent home series win against India in which he bagged the man of the series award.
18 – KL Rahul
KL Rahul was expected to make a strong case for the opening slot after the World Cup 2019, but instead, his good form had prompted India to play him as a wicketkeeper finisher at No.5 in ODIs. The 29-year-old did splendid work behind the stumps and was unstoppable with the bat as well. He made an excellent return to Test cricket last year and has been consistent across formats with 18 half-centuries since Virat Kohli last made an international century.
20 – Mohammad Rizwan
Mohammad Rizwan has done the bulk of the scoring alongside Babar Azam for the Pakistan side in the last two years and have proven to be a deadly combination. The Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter had a sensation run in 2021, especially where he kept scoring fifties for fun and broke a lot of records as well. Rizwan has hit 20 half-centuries since 2019 and it speaks volumes of his maturity.
23 – Virat Kohli
Despite all the criticism surrounding over Kohli’s personal form, the ex-Indian skipper is still equalled at the top for the most fifties since he last made an international century. The chase master has been battling out in the field for runs and his intent still remains a major positive despite the hundreds yet to come. No wonder, he is portrayed to the best batter of the generation.
23 – Babar Azam
It is not often a player gets compared to the likes of Virat Kohli, and Babar has managed to break the shackles by constantly reaching landmarks. The Pakistan skipper has hit 23 half-centuries since Kohli last made an international century and it equals the most by any batter. No wonder, Babar won the ICC Men’s ODI player of the year award for his brilliance in 2021.
