Virat Kohli has had a remarkable career for India across formats. But he turns into a different beast when it comes to playing in ICC events.
The Indian run machine dominates bowlers in the prestigious T20 World Cup, leading the run chart with finesse. Over the years, King Kohli has crafted a bunch of impactful batting performances in the T20 tournament.
In this article, we’ll list Virat Kohli’s 5 best batting performances in T20 World Cup history.
5. 55* (37) vs Pakistan | Kolkata, 2016
Before coming into the match against Pakistan, India had lost their first match against New Zealand. Thus, this was a must-win game to stay alive in the tournament.
But before the match could even start, rain delayed the game, resulting in a truncated match of 18 overs per side. After being asked to bat first, Pakistan mustered 118 runs in 18 overs.
Chasing the target, India lost the first wicket on 14, prompting Virat Kohli to walk in. India lost 2 more wickets in the space of 9 runs, putting them in a dicey situation at 23 for 3.
Someone needed to hold on to the wicket, and Kohli just did that, along with Yuvraj Singh. He batted cautiously till he reached 20, but he broke the shackles in the 11th over by hitting a six and a four to Shoaib Malik.
That eased a bit of pressure, but soon Yuvraj went back to the pavilion. But Kohli didn’t let the game slip from his hands and hammered boundaries to take India closer to the target.
In the process, Kohli completed his fifty in 34 balls in front of a packed Eden Gardens Stadium.
4. 72* (44) vs South Africa | Mirpur, 2014
India were up against South Africa in the second Semi-Final of the 2014 T20 World Cup. Batting first, South Africa scored 172 runs in 20 overs.
In response, India got off to a flying start, accumulating 39 runs for the first wicket. After Rohit Sharma departed, Virat Kohli barged onto the crease.
The right-hander stitched crucial yet impactful partnerships with Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina. In the meantime, Kohli reached his half-century in 35 deliveries.
Those partnerships and his resilient batting ensured India chased down the target with 5 balls to spare. Kohli finished off the proceedings with a four, taking his score to 72 not out off 44 balls.
3. 89* (47) vs West Indies | Mumbai, 2016
Another Semi-Final, another masterclass from Virat Kohli. India were taking on the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium.
After being asked to bat first, India’s openers provided a decent start. India lost their first wicket on 62, but the stage was set for Kohli to dominate the proceedings.
However, he gave the Windies a couple of chances to dismiss him in the initial 4-5 deliveries. Kohli then traded cautiously and kept rotating the strike.
Once the innings entered the death overs, the Delhi batter charged at the Windies bowlers, smashing them all across the park. In the last 4 overs itself, he got 45 runs in 16 deliveries.
Eventually, Kohli remained unbeaten on 89 off 47 balls at an impressive strike rate of 189.36. However, his knock went in vain as the Windies gunned down India’s target of 193 runs with ease.
2. 82* (51) vs Australia | Mohali, 2016
This was the last group stage game for India, and they had to win it at any cost to secure the Semi-Final berth. Australia set a target of 161 runs for India.
While chasing the target, India lost both openers within the powerplay, reducing them to 37 for 2. In came Kohli with a lot of expectations on his shoulders, and he didn’t disappoint.
He started off with a bang by hitting 2 fours on consecutive deliveries. Another wicket fell, and Kohli slowed down a bit, getting singles and doubles.
As the death overs kicked in, the dashing batter launched a barrage of boundaries against James Faulkner and Nathan Coulter-Nile. In those last 4-5 overs, he completely bossed the chase, pushing Australia out of the contest.
In the end, Kohli remained not out on 82 off 51 balls and saw India home with 5 balls to spare.
1. 82* (53) vs Pakistan | Melbourne, 2022
Virat Kohli’s performance against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup is remarkable. He showed a glimpse of it when India were facing Pakistan in their tournament opener at the iconic MCG in 2022.
The Indian bowlers had done a great job at restricting Pakistan to 159/8. Now it was up to the batters to chase down the target.
However, India had a terrible start, losing KL Rahul on 7 in the second over. Out came Virat Kohli, but India lost 3 more wickets in 24 runs, leaving them at 31 for 4 at the start of the seventh over.
The onus was now on Kohli and Hardik Pandya to stabilise the innings. The required run rate shot above 10 in the 9th over, with Pakistan having the upper hand.
Then Kohli decided to put the pedal on the accelerator. He smashed 2 sixes to Mohammad Nawaz, relieving a bit of pressure. In the 18th over, he slammed Shaheen Shah Afridi for 3 overs, closing the gap between the target.
The penultimate over was crucial, as India needed 31 off 12. On the last 2 balls of the over, he cleared the ropes with ease, smashing consecutive sixes to Haris Rauf.
The equation came down to 16 off 6, but Hardik lost his wicket on the first ball. Kohli brought India back into the game on the fourth ball, tonking the no-ball for a six.
His valiant effort under immense pressure helped India sail over the victory line, sending the whole MCG crowd into a frenzy. Kohli remained unbeaten on 82 off 53 deliveries, smashing 6 fours and 4 sixes.
