Statistical Comparison: Virat Kohli and Hashim Amla at 50 International centuries

There is a hardly any list of fastest to ‘n’ centuries or ‘n’ 1000 runs in limited overs cricket and across the three International formats that doesn’t feature two modern-day greats Hashim Amla and Virat Kohli. The latest list to embrace them both is the 50 centuries in International cricket and interestingly they scored their 50th International ton in their 348th innings to become the fastest, leaving six players behind. Among the eight players with 50 centuries across formats, only five of them touched the mark having played less than 500 innings.

Out of Kohli’s 50 centuries, a large chunk, 32 are in ODIs while his century against Sri Lanka in the first Test was the 18th in Test cricket. When Amla scored his 50th International century, he had 24 in ODIs and 26 tons in Tests whereas Sachin Tendulkar had 26 and 24 respectively balanced in ODIs and Tests. Of these 50 centuries, Kohli scored only 22 of them at home. Only Sachin (21) had fewer centuries at home at the 50 tons mark across formats while Amla scored 26.

Fastest to 50 centuries in International cricket:

Comparing the above five players, it is easy to say that Kohli has the best records to this point. He has scored an ODI hundred every six innings so has Hashim Amla. Tendulkar was scoring an ODI hundred in an average of 10 innings while Ricky Ponting and Brian Lara needed 12 and 13 innings respectively.

ODI numbers when they reached 50th International century:

The equations look similar if we compare these five players’ in Test cricket as Kohli and Amla possess a flatter record when compared to Sachin, Lara and Ponting. However, the two modern-day batsmen have scored a Test ton in an average of six innings which is at par with Ponting while Sachin needed only five innings.

Brian Lara, however, scored a Test century in every 7th innings. Had they opened their hundreds account in the T20I format, Amla and Kohli would have breached past the 50 centuries mark in fewer innings.

Test numbers when they reached the 50th International century:

(Stats as on November 22, 2017)