Most runs after 100 Test matches: The former Indian captain will become the 71st cricketer to play 100 Test matches today.
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Known to take the centre stage when on a cricket ground, former India captain Virat Kohli will yet again entice limelight upon stepping on to the ground at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium today.
This time, however, Kohli will become the centre of attraction for a special reason. Kohli, 33, will become only the 12th Indian cricketer to play his 100th Test on Friday. Overall, he will be the 71st cricketer to achieve this milestone.
Initially scheduled to be played behind closed doors, Mohali, venue for the first India vs Sri Lanka Test match, received severe criticism from spectators who believed that Kohli deserved to play in front of crowd in his landmark Test.
An archetype crowd-puller especially in Test cricket, Kohli will be playing in front of a 50% capacity crowd after a sharp U-turn by BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and PCA (Punjab Cricket Association) on the back of a steep decline in COVID-19 cases in and around the city.
The magnitude of the occasion can be estimated from the fact that Kohli has received tributes from the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Dilip Vengsarkar, VVS Laxman, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan and Pradeep Sangwan before playing his 100th Test match.
Most runs after 100 Test matches
In the 168 innings of the 99 Test matches that he has played thus far, Kohli has amassed 7,962 runs at an average of 50.39 including 27 centuries and 28 half-centuries. Former Indian batters (likely to be) ahead of Kohli in this list are Rahul Dravid (8,553), Virender Sehwag (8,487), Sunil Gavaskar (8,479), Sachin Tendulkar (8,405).
While it is unlikely that Kohli will break into the list of Top Five run-scorers after 100 Tests, it is a fitting occasion for him to end his century drought in this match.
| Batter | Innings | Runs | Highest | Average | 100 | 50 |
| Brian Lara (WI) | 176 | 8916 | 375 | 52.14 | 23 | 42 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (SL) | 167 | 8651 | 287 | 55.81 | 25 | 36 |
| Younis Khan (PAK) | 178 | 8640 | 313 | 53.33 | 29 | 29 |
| Rahul Dravid (IND) | 169 | 8553 | 270 | 57.79 | 22 | 42 |
| Matthew Hayden (AUS) | 178 | 8508 | 380 | 51.87 | 30 | 29 |
