Virat Kohli will play his 100th T20I on Sunday when India take on Pakistan at the 2022 Asian Cup in Dubai. To play that many games, you need to perform at a very high level, consistently, for many years – 12 in Kohli’s case. Along the way, there have been a number of masterstrokes. Here’s ESPNcricinfo’s pick of six of the best (in no particular order).
Chaos in Mohali
82* v Australia, 2016 T20 World Cup
Let’s put that aside: 2016 was Kohli’s year, period. In this context, some rounds stood out. In the group game against Australia at the T20 World Cup that year, for example, he handled a tricky chase expertly, with a semi-final spot on the line. He started characteristically , apparently in cruise control, then shifted gears. A 161 chase was shaping up to be tough on the slow-moving ground in Mohali and India’s top two fell to the power play. Yuvraj Singh’s twisted ankle added to the concern which made it difficult to take two. As it looked like the match was slipping out of India’s hands, MS Dhoni joined Kohli at the crease, and the two started picking up points with a bit of skelter. It was in the 18th – when the required rate had touched 13 – that Kohli finally unleashed chaos, starting with a superbly timed shot on James Faulkner’s short, slow ball. The yorker’s next ball missed its mark and Kohli guided it for four runs, followed by a longer six. Nathan Coulter-Nile was then taken for four limits in the 19th. Game over. And Kohli stood in the middle, soaking up the adulation.
what they said: “He loves fighting, he also loves brawling and he loves playing against Australia” – Nasser Hussain commented
What Kohli said: “This [the innings] must definitely be in the top three. Probably the top right now, because I’m a little emotional, so I’d like to put that on top.”
Dhoni’s “gift”
72* v South Africa, 2014 T20 World Cup Semi-Final, Dhaka
The match is perhaps best remembered for Dhoni’s gesture of defending the last ball from the penultimate so Kohli could hit the winning runs. But what preceded was a masterclass. From Kohli. As he built a winning run under pressure to take India to the World Cup final. And he wasn’t feeling “too good” before the game.
Kohli came out when India needed a boost – India were 77 to 2 in nine-and-a-half chasing 173 for victory – and timed the chase perfectly. He followed his usual pattern of scoring most of his runs upfront in ones and twos, stroking the ball into the gaps and clearing bad balls away. His first angry shot came only from the 18th ball he faced, running downfield to swing a long-time boundary JP Duminy delivery. He started taking his chances after that, the pressure easing, celebrating almost every shot – either his partner’s or his partner’s – with trademark animation. Kohli finished the game with a boundary shot from midwicket after Dhoni gave him the strike in the 20th and celebrated with a veiny roar.
what they said: “The least I could offer Virat was the winning shot so I played the last ball of the 19th without pointing.” – Dhoni at the post-match presentation ceremony
What Kohli said: “I hit the ball better in the T20s in other games. I also timed the ball better than today and I managed to score five or six boundaries very quickly. Today, c “It was difficult because I had to work hard for the shot. But depending on the importance of the game, this shot exceeds it.”
It’s time for revenge, Kesrick!
94* vs Antilles, 1st T20I, 2019 in Hyderabad
Kesrick Williams had fired Kohli in 2017 and fired him with his notebook celebration. A few years later, Kohli decided it would be payback time. But the blow was not easy. It wasn’t a typical round for Kohli – at least at first – as he could barely time the ball. Kohli lost his temper – against himself, against the refs, against Williams – as he struggled to reach 20 out of 20 balls in a 208 chase. The ask rate was rising and Kohli was struggling and showing it, but the Hyderabad crowd never made it up. And Kohli appeared to feed off the crowd as he knocked her down in the 15th. He conjured up his half-century with a lob shot into the stands and followed it up with a slash on the edge of the deep third. The 14-run over brought the equation down to 54 of 30 and Kohli raised it further in the next over, hitting a four and a six on Williams. He didn’t hold back on the stage, mocking Williams’ signing celebration as he sent the crowd into a frenzy. On the last 25 balls he faced, Kohli scored 68 runs. He finished the game with eight balls remaining with a magnificent drive for six on Williams, notching his career-best T20I score in the process.
What Kohli said: “For young batsmen watching, don’t follow the first half of my innings. I was batting badly that time. Luckily, that one [Jason] Incumbent [the 15th, which went for 15], then I started to analyze why I’m wrong. I realized that I was not a slogger but a timekeeper instead, then I changed my style of play.”
Fun at Wankhede
70* against the West Indies, 3rd T20I in 2019, Mumbai
In a belt at Wankhede in the series decider, India proved to be very West Indian, with fly-half Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul putting up a blistering 145-point stand. Kohli joined the fun after back-to-back wickets and looked keen to bring back the momentum that had slipped away. He came in 4th in 13th after Rishabh Pant was fired and sent the fifth ball he faced for a long wrist shot. He didn’t take the time to settle in, as he usually does, bringing his T20I fifty faster, over 21 balls. He seemed to continue where he left off in the first T20I: coming loose against Holder and pointing short-legged Williams as he hit his fifty. He crushed 24 runs over Kieron Pollard in the 19th, and put out one big hit after another as he went forward. He finished with a strike rate of 241.37, which is his highest in the T20s (min 25 balls face), taking India to a total of 240 wins.
What Kohli said“It was about going out there and performing. I had the opportunity to do something different, which I don’t usually do.”
Classy Kohli does it again
55* v Pakistan, 2016 T20 World Cup, Calcutta
On a proving ground at Eden Gardens, a cool-headed Kohli displayed impeccable judgment and orchestrated another chase. India had allowed Pakistan to score more than they would have liked in the rainy 18-for-1 game – 118 for 5 – and were reduced to 12 for 3 in the chase. While every other hitter struggled to time the ball, or even connect to it, Kohli had complete control on a pitch that offered a tight turn. He resisted any temptation to break away – until ninth over he had only hit one boundary – as he focused on the rotation of the shot. But when he had his chance, he showed his class: whether it was Shoaib Malik’s slog-sweep for six in the 11th, or his consecutive boundaries thanks to extra coverage from Shahid Afridi, or the sweeper punch- cover the border off Mohammad Amir. He eventually lowered the asking rate. The fifty came, on 34 balls, and he bowed to Sachin Tendulkar, who was in the stands, celebrating. The victory was sealed with 13 balls to spare.
what they said: “He [Kohli] takes everything as a challenge. He wants to improve, he wants to contribute in every game. And that’s what it’s all about, because he wants to contribute, he wants to score points, he prepares well, he takes care of his form.” – Dhoni at the presentation ceremony after -match
What Kohli said: “I was convinced that I had to play with a straight bat to keep the strike going. Fortunately my heart rate was low when we lost three wickets, it could have exploded because it was a big game and a stadium full at Eden Gardens. I’m just grateful I got to do it.”
Adelaide’s love story
90* vs Australia, 1st T20I in 2016, Adelaide
Searing Kohli hit in high-octane clash [with a dash of drama, of course]. Familiar, right? It happened again, this time at one of his favorite venues, in the first T20I against Australia in 2016. Kohli had just had an incredible run in the format and was all loaded that day. Along with Suresh Raina, he took on the role of chief aggressor and picked out spinner Cameron Boyce’s outs as easily as he did rapids. He was electric, running aggressively between the wickets and sticking to playing good cricket shots. He barely worked, used his feet well, and identified the areas he wanted to target. The timing was perfect as usual. He spared no one when he entered his zone and increased the scoring rate to take India’s total to 190: best shots included a back foot drive on the cover for four from Kane Richardson and Shane Watson’s punch placed between long -on and cow corner, as he scored a 90 from 55 balls.
what they said: “By the time he ends his career, quite a few Australian pitches will have his stand.” -Dhoni
What Kohli said“I could take this stadium with me wherever I fight. This stadium is on par with anywhere in the world.”
Virat Kohli will play his 100th T20I on Sunday when India take on Pakistan at the 2022 Asian Cup in Dubai. To play that many games, you need to perform at a very high level, consistently, for many years – 12 in Kohli’s case. Along the way, there have been a number of masterstrokes. Here’s ESPNcricinfo’s pick of six of the best (in no particular order).
Chaos in Mohali
82* v Australia, 2016 T20 World Cup
Let’s put that aside: 2016 was Kohli’s year, period. In this context, some rounds stood out. In the group game against Australia at the T20 World Cup that year, for example, he handled a tricky chase expertly, with a semi-final spot on the line. He started characteristically , apparently in cruise control, then shifted gears. A 161 chase was shaping up to be tough on the slow-moving ground in Mohali and India’s top two fell to the power play. Yuvraj Singh’s twisted ankle added to the concern which made it difficult to take two. As it looked like the match was slipping out of India’s hands, MS Dhoni joined Kohli at the crease, and the two started picking up points with a bit of skelter. It was in the 18th – when the required rate had touched 13 – that Kohli finally unleashed chaos, starting with a superbly timed shot on James Faulkner’s short, slow ball. The yorker’s next ball missed its mark and Kohli guided it for four runs, followed by a longer six. Nathan Coulter-Nile was then taken for four limits in the 19th. Game over. And Kohli stood in the middle, soaking up the adulation.
what they said: “He loves fighting, he also loves brawling and he loves playing against Australia” – Nasser Hussain commented
What Kohli said: “This [the innings] must definitely be in the top three. Probably the top right now, because I’m a little emotional, so I’d like to put that on top.”
Dhoni’s “gift”
72* v South Africa, 2014 T20 World Cup Semi-Final, Dhaka
The match is perhaps best remembered for Dhoni’s gesture of defending the last ball from the penultimate so Kohli could hit the winning runs. But what preceded was a masterclass. From Kohli. As he built a winning run under pressure to take India to the World Cup final. And he wasn’t feeling “too good” before the game.
Kohli came out when India needed a boost – India were 77 to 2 in nine-and-a-half chasing 173 for victory – and timed the chase perfectly. He followed his usual pattern of scoring most of his runs upfront in ones and twos, stroking the ball into the gaps and clearing bad balls away. His first angry shot came only from the 18th ball he faced, running downfield to swing a long-time boundary JP Duminy delivery. He started taking his chances after that, the pressure easing, celebrating almost every shot – either his partner’s or his partner’s – with trademark animation. Kohli finished the game with a boundary shot from midwicket after Dhoni gave him the strike in the 20th and celebrated with a veiny roar.
what they said: “The least I could offer Virat was the winning shot so I played the last ball of the 19th without pointing.” – Dhoni at the post-match presentation ceremony
What Kohli said: “I hit the ball better in the T20s in other games. I also timed the ball better than today and I managed to score five or six boundaries very quickly. Today, c “It was difficult because I had to work hard for the shot. But depending on the importance of the game, this shot exceeds it.”
It’s time for revenge, Kesrick!
94* vs Antilles, 1st T20I, 2019 in Hyderabad
Kesrick Williams had fired Kohli in 2017 and fired him with his notebook celebration. A few years later, Kohli decided it would be payback time. But the blow was not easy. It wasn’t a typical round for Kohli – at least at first – as he could barely time the ball. Kohli lost his temper – against himself, against the refs, against Williams – as he struggled to reach 20 out of 20 balls in a 208 chase. The ask rate was rising and Kohli was struggling and showing it, but the Hyderabad crowd never made it up. And Kohli appeared to feed off the crowd as he knocked her down in the 15th. He conjured up his half-century with a lob shot into the stands and followed it up with a slash on the edge of the deep third. The 14-run over brought the equation down to 54 of 30 and Kohli raised it further in the next over, hitting a four and a six on Williams. He didn’t hold back on the stage, mocking Williams’ signing celebration as he sent the crowd into a frenzy. On the last 25 balls he faced, Kohli scored 68 runs. He finished the game with eight balls remaining with a magnificent drive for six on Williams, notching his career-best T20I score in the process.
What Kohli said: “For young batsmen watching, don’t follow the first half of my innings. I was batting badly that time. Luckily, that one [Jason] Incumbent [the 15th, which went for 15], then I started to analyze why I’m wrong. I realized that I was not a slogger but a timekeeper instead, then I changed my style of play.”
Fun at Wankhede
70* against the West Indies, 3rd T20I in 2019, Mumbai
In a belt at Wankhede in the series decider, India proved to be very West Indian, with fly-half Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul putting up a blistering 145-point stand. Kohli joined the fun after back-to-back wickets and looked keen to bring back the momentum that had slipped away. He came in 4th in 13th after Rishabh Pant was fired and sent the fifth ball he faced for a long wrist shot. He didn’t take the time to settle in, as he usually does, bringing his T20I fifty faster, over 21 balls. He seemed to continue where he left off in the first T20I: coming loose against Holder and pointing short-legged Williams as he hit his fifty. He crushed 24 runs over Kieron Pollard in the 19th, and put out one big hit after another as he went forward. He finished with a strike rate of 241.37, which is his highest in the T20s (min 25 balls face), taking India to a total of 240 wins.
What Kohli said“It was about going out there and performing. I had the opportunity to do something different, which I don’t usually do.”
Classy Kohli does it again
55* v Pakistan, 2016 T20 World Cup, Calcutta
On a proving ground at Eden Gardens, a cool-headed Kohli displayed impeccable judgment and orchestrated another chase. India had allowed Pakistan to score more than they would have liked in the rainy 18-for-1 game – 118 for 5 – and were reduced to 12 for 3 in the chase. While every other hitter struggled to time the ball, or even connect to it, Kohli had complete control on a pitch that offered a tight turn. He resisted any temptation to break away – until ninth over he had only hit one boundary – as he focused on the rotation of the shot. But when he had his chance, he showed his class: whether it was Shoaib Malik’s slog-sweep for six in the 11th, or his consecutive boundaries thanks to extra coverage from Shahid Afridi, or the sweeper punch- cover the border off Mohammad Amir. He eventually lowered the asking rate. The fifty came, on 34 balls, and he bowed to Sachin Tendulkar, who was in the stands, celebrating. The victory was sealed with 13 balls to spare.
what they said: “He [Kohli] takes everything as a challenge. He wants to improve, he wants to contribute in every game. And that’s what it’s all about, because he wants to contribute, he wants to score points, he prepares well, he takes care of his form.” – Dhoni at the presentation ceremony after -match
What Kohli said: “I was convinced that I had to play with a straight bat to keep the strike going. Fortunately my heart rate was low when we lost three wickets, it could have exploded because it was a big game and a stadium full at Eden Gardens. I’m just grateful I got to do it.”
Adelaide’s love story
90* vs Australia, 1st T20I in 2016, Adelaide
Searing Kohli hit in high-octane clash [with a dash of drama, of course]. Familiar, right? It happened again, this time at one of his favorite venues, in the first T20I against Australia in 2016. Kohli had just had an incredible run in the format and was all loaded that day. Along with Suresh Raina, he took on the role of chief aggressor and picked out spinner Cameron Boyce’s outs as easily as he did rapids. He was electric, running aggressively between the wickets and sticking to playing good cricket shots. He barely worked, used his feet well, and identified the areas he wanted to target. The timing was perfect as usual. He spared no one when he entered his zone and increased the scoring rate to take India’s total to 190: best shots included a back foot drive on the cover for four from Kane Richardson and Shane Watson’s punch placed between long -on and cow corner, as he scored a 90 from 55 balls.
what they said: “By the time he ends his career, quite a few Australian pitches will have his stand.” -Dhoni
What Kohli said“I could take this stadium with me wherever I fight. This stadium is on par with anywhere in the world.”