India became the first visiting country to inflict a 5-0 whitewash on Sri Lanka with a thumping six-wicket victory in the final ODI of the series. In one of the most lopsided bilateral contests in recent history, India have now completed back-to-back rout after humiliating the hosts in the three-Test series, which was also a complete rout.
After Bhuvneshwar Kumar's maiden five-wicket haul enabled India to restrict Sri Lanka to 238, Kohli for the umpteenth time anchored a successful chase in 46.3 overs with a fluent unbeaten 110.
This was his 30th ODI hundred in only his 194th game and is now joint-second in list of most century makers alongside Ricky Ponting with only Sachin Tendulkar (49) ahead of him.
Kohli got able support from Kedar Jadhav (63), who redeemed himself after a couple of ducks adding 109 runs with his skipper for the fourth wicket stand.
The stage was set by Kohli and Manish Pandey (36) with a 99-run stand for the third wicket. On a pitch that was bit slower than the fourth ODI, Kohli adjusted his game accordingly, hitting only nine boundaries in 116 balls. Jadhav hit some delicate late cuts scoring his runs off 73 balls with seven boundaries.
Fittingly, the winning runs were hit by Kohli, who is now growing in strength and stature as the leader of a successful unit. The only people to miss out were Ajinkya Rahane (5), who was dismissed trying to hook a Lasith Malinga bouncer while Rohit Sharma's lap shot off a Vishwa Fernando delivery was brilliantly caught at fine leg by Malinda Pushpakumara.
However once Kohli hit his customary cover drive to start his innings, things as usual went downhill for the Sri Lankans.
Earlier, Bhuvneshwar Kumar grabbed a career-best 5/42 effecting yet another batting collapse as India skittled out Sri Lanka for 238. Sri Lankan batting once again promised a lot but delivered little, losing as many as seven wickets for 53 runs after they were cruising along at 185 for 3.
A 122-run partnership for the 4th wicket between Lahiru Thirimanne (67) and Angelo Mathews (55) enabled Sri Lanka to reach a position of safety before Bhuvneshwar led the charge with his maiden five-wicket haul. Jasprit Bumrah (2/45), Kuldeep Yadav (1/40) and Yuzvendra Chahal (1/36) were the other wicket-takers.
Upul Tharanga (48) opened the innings with Niroshan Dickwella (2) then, and the latter was dismissed in the third over offering a simple return catch to Bhuvneshwar. Virat Kohli took a brilliant catch at mid-off going backwards to dismiss Munaweera off Bhuvneshwar in the seventh over. Bumrah then had Tharanga - caught behind in the 10th over.
It was a familiar story for Sri Lanka as the scoreboard read 64/3 after the first powerplay. Thirimanne and Mathews though defied the Indian bowling for 29.3 overs as they put on the hosts' highest stand throughout this five-match series. Their 50-run partnership came off 65 balls as Sri Lanka crossed 100 in the 18th over.
Thirimanne reached his 18th ODI half-century off 83 balls - his second fifty of the series. Mathews recorded his second straight fifty in as many matches, reaching his 35th ODI half-century off 79 balls.
Their 100-partnership came off 122 balls as they looked to have provided a cushion for the lower-order to attack the Indian bowling.
Yet another high for MSD
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, with Akila Dananjaya's stumping in the fifth ODI, has created cricket history. He has become the first wicketkeeper to complete a century of stumpings in ODIs, bettering Kumar Sangakkara's tally of 99. Having stumped 38 batsmen in Tests and 23 in Twenty20 Internationals, Dhoni's tally of 161 stumpings in international cricket is also a record the next best being Sangakkara's 139.
