NEW DELHI: On Sunday, India rewrote ODI record books by registering the highest ever victory margin when the hosts thrashed Sri Lanka by 317 runs in the third one-day international in Thiruvananthapuram.
Batting maestro Virat Kohli scored 166 not out, and along with Shubman Gill, who scored 116, powered India to a mammoth 390 for 5.
And pacer Mohammed Siraj returned an excellent figures of 4 for 32 to bowl out the visitors for a paltry 73 in 22 overs.
Amid all the records, skipper Rohit Sharma registered an unwanted record of his own.
Rohit, who looked in a good touch, scored 42 off 49 balls and added a fine 95 runs for the opening wicket with Gill, but the captain has now failed to convert a good start into a triple-figure score for 50 consecutive international innings.Former India opening batter Gautam Gambhir, who is one of the panellists of the official broadcaster Star Sports, said that Rohit should be put in the same space where Kohli was until a few months ago."I think we should talk to him in the same space like we used to when Virat didn't get a 100 in the last three and a half years.
So we should be equally hard on Rohit Sharma because 50 innings in international cricket is quite a lot," Gambhir said on Start Sports.1/20Milestone man Virat Kohli leads India to record ODI win against Sri LankaPreviousNextShow Captions<p>Virat Kohli is looking hungrier for big runs and has started producing those with consummate ease and effortless strokeplay.
</p><p>On Sunday, Kohli broke Sachin Tendulkar's record of 20 ODI centuries on home soil and his unbeaten 166 was the 46th of his career in this format.</p><p>During the course of his innings, Kohli also went past Mahela Jayawardene to rise to fifth in ODI's all-time run-scorers chart.
</p><p>But much more than those numbers, it is the manner in which Kohli is scoring the runs that will be giving the rival bowlers sleepless nights.
</p><p>Kohli started showing signs of returning to form in the Asia Cup last year.
</p><p>Kohli's match-winning unbeaten 82 against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup was a classic and he translated the T20 form that he showed in the latter half of last year into ODIs.
</p><p>The longer format also gives Kohli time and space to pace his innings.
</p><p>After going century-less for more than three years, Kohli has now three tons in his last four innings.
</p><p>On Sunday, Kohli looked in ominous touch the moment he arrived at the crease.
</p><p>Kohli started with a cracking drive through the mid-off region off just the second ball he faced.
From then on there was no looking back.
</p><p>Kohli cut, drove, and pulled the hapless bowlers in all directions.
</p><p>At 34, Kohli is still the fittest member of this Indian team and that is helping him pinch singles and twos to supplement his brilliant stroke-making.
</p><p>However, the biggest takeaway from Kohli's innings was how he accelerated to perfection.
</p><p>Kohli's first 50 came off 48 balls and was laced with five fours.
</p><p>Kohli increased his pace and reached the three-figure mark off 85 balls and it contained eight fours and a six.
</p><p>Kohli pushed the pedal on the accelerator once he crossed 100 and by the time he walked back at the end of his innings, he had eight sixes and 13 fours in his 110-ball knock.
</p><p>Kohli has amassed 12,754 runs in 268 ODIs for India, behind Sachin Tendulkar (18,426), Kumar Sangakkara (14,234), Ricky Ponting (13,704) and Sanath Jayasuriya (13,430).</p><p>Kohli took the score close to 400 as India smashed 116 runs in the last 10 overs with contributing 84 of those.</p><p>Kohli felt that it is his mindset that is helping him get those big knocks again.
</p>Rohit last scored a century in September 2021, against England in a Test match at the Oval.On the other hand, Kohli, who ended his long century drought last year after smashing his maiden T20I ton against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup, has now scored three centuries in his last four ODIs.
"It's not that you didn't get a 100 in one or two series.
That is one thing that is missing in Rohit's game from the last World Cup.
He used to get those big 100s, this time he's looking in good form, he's hitting the ball well but he has to convert.
It is one thing that has stood out for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and Virat has got it back, Rohit Sharma needs to get it back at least before the World Cup because these two guys will be extremely important if India has to go all the way and win the World Cup," Gambhir added.Rohit started the new year on a strong note, smashing 67-ball 83 in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, which India won by 67 runs.
He looked in good touch in the third ODI too, but failed to convert another good start.
Rohit was the top scorer in the last ODI World Cup in 2019, scoring 648 runs from nine matches which included five centuries.
And India will need similar form from their skipper in the home World Cup later in the year.