Virat Kohli becomes the first captain to score 10 International centuries in a calendar year

Indian skipper Virat Kohli notched up yet another hundred in his illustrious career, which happens to be his 19th in Tests, 51st in International cricket. Continuing at the overnight score of 54, Kohli made a mockery of the Lankan bowling attack, who looked a little too pale to have any impact on the game. There was no stopping the run machine as he kept weaving more and more runs without much fuss.

This hundred in the second Test against the Lankans at Nagpur made him the first ever captain in International cricket history to bag 10 centuries in a calendar year. He came on level terms with Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith with his breathtaking innings at the Eden Gardens and now, he has gone past all his compatriots to stay at the helm.

Beginning with his hundred in a run chase against England at Pune, where India needed over 350 runs to win, Kohli scored a mind-boggling ton and stitched a fantastic partnership with Kedar Jadhav. India became only the third team in cricket history to chase 350 or more on three occasions in ODI history and on all three occasions, the batting maestro registered a century.

He followed it up with a double ton against Bangladesh at Hyderabad and despite a having a forgettable Test series against Australia, he clobbered runs for fun against West Indies, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand after the Champions Trophy. His form was being doubted after a rough patch beginning from the Australia series till the end of the IPL, but this is exactly what champion players do, shut the critics with their willow.

Kohli tops an elite list of players

The 29-year-old India skipper has a lot of cricket still left in this year and he has already surpassed many legendary names in a very elite list. Ricky Ponting previously amassed nine centuries in a calendar year on two occasions, in 2005 and 2006. Proteas legend Graeme Smith is the other one who notched nine International tons in 2005.

The former South African skipper registered 7 centuries in 2008 and that puts him on level terms with three other players. Sri Lankan stalwart Mahela Jayawardene and the immortal Brian Lara are the other cricketers who chipped in with 7 centuries in a single year whilst they were leading their units. A fact that Kohli has a lot of cricket still left in 2017 to extend his formidable record is just staggering and jaw-dropping.