100 and counting: Revisiting Virat Kohli’s five best T20I innings
100 and counting: Revisiting Virat Kohli’s five best T20I innings: We look back at Virat Kohli’s greatest T20I innings in honor of the historic occasion of his 100th T20I appearance for India.
It was a happy moment when Virat Kohli returned to the field against Pakistan at the 2022 Asia Cup after being out for more than a month. The great Indian batsman had just played his 100th T20I.
Since making his shortest-format debut against Zimbabwe in 2010, Kohli has had a remarkable career. Prior to this game, he had played 99 games and amassed 3308 runs at an average of 50.12 while striking out 137.66. He has played 91 innings of baseball and has hit 30 home runs, averaging one per three at bats.
He is currently just the second player in the world, behind Ross Taylor of New Zealand, to have played in 100 matches for his nation of India in each of the three forms.
We look back at five of Kohli’s finest innings in the shortest format as he celebrates this remarkable accomplishment.
Pakistan match, 49 (51) Asia Cup (2016)
Virat Kohli’s knock in the Asia Cup match against Pakistan is indispensable and is still regarded as one of his finest T20I innings, despite the fact that it is the only one on this list that isn’t a fifty.
On the surface, it appeared as though MS Dhoni’s team would easily defeat the opposition as they chased down 84 for the victory. That was prior to Mohammad Amir tearing through the top order, dismissing India’s openers Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma for ducks in the first over. Soon after, India found themselves at 8/3 after Raina’s early demise.
Early on, Kohli led a perilous life, escaping a lbw shout and an edge that just cleared the slips, but more crucially for India, he made it through the hard time. With two boundaries in his penultimate over, Kohli ended Amir’s session and then calmly batted to almost lead India to victory.
Although he came short of a fifty, he still did enough to stop India’s early decline and put them in position to win.
94* (50) vs West Indies, 2019
If one were to go back to the beginning of Kohli’s innings in Hyderabad, it didn’t appear like the 94* against West Indies would wind up being his greatest score in T20I cricket.
Kohli was batting at a run-a-ball 20 when India needed another 119 runs to win as they chased down 208 for the victory. The inning’s opening was fairly out of the ordinary, but the Chase Master was irritated by the verbal altercation with Kesrick Williams.
In the second half of the innings, Kohli began an assault and reached 50 with a maximum. He particularly enjoyed Williams’ bowling, hitting it for three sixes and a four, including two in the last over to send India home.
70*(29) v. West Indies (2019)
West Indies were the recipient of another magnificent effort from the bat of the Indian star five days after Virat Kohli pulled off a remarkable chase. Although the conditions were different and the openers having set the stage with a 135-run partnership in little under 11 overs, the game in Mumbai revealed to the world King Kohli’s most destructive side.
By hitting a six off Hayden Walsh’s sixth delivery of the innings, he made his intentions known. The following ball, he smacked Jason Holder for two boundaries and a six.
On this particular day, no bowler was spared, even Kieron Pollard, who was beaten mercilessly by Kohli with three sixes and a four in the 18th over. As Kohli’s blitzkrieg pushed India to 240 in the first innings, the fifty came off just 21 balls.
South Africa match, T20 World Cup, 72* (44) (2014)
Another tight game, another successful chase by Virat Kohli.
If one were to point to a specific innings where Kohli earned the title of Chase Master in the shortest format, it would be his performance against South Africa in the T20 World Cup semi final in Dhaka.
The run was an example of how to pace your innings in a chase. Kohli swiftly changed gears to make sure the squad wasn’t overwhelmed by the strain of chasing in the semi-final when India required 93 off the last 10.
Australia match, T20 World Cup, 82* (51) (2016)
The setting was set for Virat Kohli to direct yet another remarkable chase for the Men in Blue. India was virtually knocked out, chasing for a position in the semi-final at home, and they were in trouble at 49/3 with an injured Yuvraj Singh at the other end.
There aren’t many T20I innings where a batsman scores as many runs as Kohli did that day, but it was one of those.
With India needing 67 runs in the final six overs, Kohli was still at 35 off 30 when Yuvraj’s wicket fell. In order to win the game, he simply needed 31 balls.
Kohli found it much simpler to run between the wickets with MS Dhoni at the crease. He took 40 balls to reach fifty, but he scarcely cheered since he knew he still had a lot of work to do.
The final solution was 39 of 18. In James Faulkner’s opening over, the first three balls went 4, 4, and 6, resulting in a total loss of 19 runs. Similar treatment was given to Nathan Coulter-Nile as it was to Kohli, who amassed four boundaries in the over.
Virat went to his knees with a smile at the other end as Dhoni sealed the game with a four, leading India to the 2016 T20 World Cup semifinals.
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