Top 5: Virat Kohli’s Best Knocks in T20I Cricket

Virat Kohli over the years has played a lot of great knocks in T20I cricket, be it in the bilateral series or the multinational tournaments.

In this article, we will talk about Virat Kohli’s top 5 best knocks in T20I cricket.

82* vs Pakistan | 2022

In 2022, Virat Kohli played one of the best T20I innings, scoring 82* runs from 53 balls against arch-rivals Pakistan in India’s first match at the T20 World Cup 2022. Kohli’s self-belief in himself saw him pull off an unbelievable run chase.

India chasing 160 against Pakistan were reduced to 31/4 by the 7th over and the Indian innings looked clueless until Kohli decided to step out against Nawaz and smashed him for a six. Hardik Pandya stood at the crease to give Kohli a company, stitching a partnership with him.

Kohli in the 18th over smashed 17 runs to Afridi which was followed by two glorious sixes against Rauf in the 19th over. India won the match by 4 wickets on the last ball of the match.

82* vs Australia | 2016

Virat Kohli played a classic T20I knock of 82 runs from 51 balls against Australia in Mohali. Kohli’s 82 included only 2 sixes. His innings was a prime example that converting singles to doubles helps in T20 cricket too and you just need to find boundaries at the right time.

India in the run chase of 161 runs in a must-win match against Australia lost the first wicket in the 4th over on 23 runs, which marked the entry of Kohli and he started his innings in his typical style by hitting cover drives to Hazlewood and Coulter Nile.

India were soon reduced to 49 for 3. The situation demanded Kohli to play the role of an aggressor in a partnership with Yuvraj Singh. After his fifty, the right-hander attacked Adam Zampa and in the death overs, he took on James Faulker. India won the match with 5 balls remaining. 

Also Read | Top 5: Most Runs in T20 World Cup

90* vs Australia | 2016

Batting first against Australia in 2016 Adelaide, Virat Kohli scored 90* runs from 55 balls, out of which 48 runs came in from boundaries. The right-hander came out to bat in the 5th over and stitched a 134-run partnership with Suresh Raina where he played the role of an aggressor.

Kohli put up a show of cuts and pulls that day against the Australian bowlers and he kept on taking doubles against the spinners by just simply stepping out against them. India won the match by 37 runs.

94* vs West Indies | 2018

6th December 2018 was just another day of Virat Kohli putting up a masterclass in a run chase. He went on smashing 94* runs from 50 balls against the West Indies in Hyderabad in the big run chase of 208 runs.

Virat batting at No. 3, came out in the middle in the 4th over but he was struggling till the 11th over with spinners turning the ball well. Kohli was on 27 off 25 balls before he smashed Jason Holder for a six which was followed by a four.

Soon Kohli completed his fifty from 35 balls. He smashed Kesrick Williams all around the ground after the 15th over and sealed the win for India with a six over the extra covers. India won the match with 8 balls remaining.

122* vs Afghanistan | 2022

In the Asia Cup 2022 when Virat Kohli opened the batting for India against Afghanistan, he smashed 122* runs from 61 balls in Dubai.

India were batting first and Kohli was cautious at the start. But in the 5th over he smashed 15 runs to Mujeeb which shifted the momentum towards him.

Kohli completed his half-century from 32 balls and by the end of the 17th over Kohli was at 77 from 46 balls. And in the next 7 balls, he scored 23 runs, scoring his first T20I century.

In the last over, Virat hit 16 runs to Farooqi, taking India to a total of 212/2 runs. India won the match by 101 runs.