Despite facing a 32-run defeat against Aussies in third ODI at Ranchi, Team India skipper Virat Kohli added another feather in his highly decorated cap by taking his ODI average past 60 while scoring his 41st hundred.
Kohli's ODI average is 60.08 in 217 innings after Friday's knock. He is only the second batsman to boast an average of above 60 for a minimum of 100 innings played, after Australian legend Michael Bevan who had an average of 62.13 after 102 innings. The left-handed middle order batsman, also known as a master chaser, holds the world record for the best career batting average by a retired player for a minimum of 100 innings (53.58 at the end of 196 innings).
The third spot in the list of batsmen with highest ODI averages after a minimum of 100 innings goes to Caribbean legend Vivian Richards (56.88 in 100 innings), followed by South Africa's Hashim Amla (56.73 in 108 innings), Australia's Michael Hussey (54.90 in 107 innings) and Proteas batter AB de Villiers (54.56 in 192 innings)
Pakistan opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq too has a current ODI average of 60.55 albeit in only 21 innings.
Netherlands batsman Ryan Ten Doeschate has the highest batting average among associate batters in the white-ball format (67.00 in 32 innings).
Kohli's knock of 123 runs in 95 deliveries, including sixteen boundaries and a six, helped India recover from a shaky start of 27-3 in their 314-run chase at the JSCA Stadium, but after his dismissal at the hands of legspinner Adam Zampa, India could manage only 62 more runs.
The ODI skipper's knock of 116 in 120 balls in the second ODI at Nagpur's VCA Stadium, however, helped his side win the game by eight runs.