Kohli surpasses Dravid for most overseas runs in calendar year

Melbourne: Captain Virat Kohli Thursday bettered Rahul Dravid’s long-standing record of most runs scored by an Indian in a calendar year overseas, adding another feather to his illustrious cap.

“With 82 runs today, @imVkohli has surpassed Rahul Dravid (1137) to register most number of runs in a calendar year in overseas Tests #KingKohli,” the BCCI tweeted.

With this 82 at the MCG on the second day of the third Test, Kohli now has 1138 runs to his name. Dravid held the record for scoring 1137 runs in Tests away from home in 2002.

Besides Kohli and Dravid, Mohinder Amarnath notched up 1065 runs in 1983 while the great Sunil Gavaskar had scored 918 runs in 1971 to make the top four in the list.

Kohli has had a sensational year with the bat, scoring nearly 600 runs in five Tests in England besides making handsome contributions across three formats in South Africa.

Kohli, who played a significant knock of 82 off 204 balls, made a surprising declaration in the 70th over with Rohit Sharma at 63 not out off 114 balls on the second day of the third Test against Australia here.

The 169.4 overs that India batted at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was also their longest since 2007 in a Test in South Africa, Australia New Zealand and England.