3 reasons why Virat Kohli's unbeaten 133 vs Sri Lanka in Hobart remains his greatest ODI knock

Virat Kohli has firmly established himself as the best all-format batter of the modern generation. In ODIs, he is arguably among the greatest batters of all time, with over 12,000 runs at an average of nearly 58, with 46 centuries to his name.

He exhibited immense potential in the early stages of his career. The ICC ranking him as the second-best ODI batter in the world ahead of the 2011 World Cup is a testimant to the same.

On this day 11 years ago, the 'Chase Master' was born in the truest sense, as Kohli scored an unbeaten 133 off 86 deliveries against Sri Lanka to stamp his authority on world cricket.

Here's a look at the three reasons it remains Virat Kohli's greatest knock in ODI cricket.

🇱🇰: 320-4(50)
🇮🇳: 321-3(36.3)

#OnThisDay in 2012, India needed to chase down Sri Lanka's total in 40 overs in Hobart to have any chance of qualifying for the CB Series final, and they did with ease.

Virat Kohli was the hero of a historic run-chase 🙌

#ViratKohli #OTD #INDvsSL https://t.co/dUhbuqbuIh

#1 It was a must-win match for India

This is one of the greatest series wins by India and it came under none other than Dhoni. We rarely talk about CB Series 2008 win down under because the 3 ICC trophy wins always take the limelight. https://t.co/zpI8vN2D9e

India had a terrible Test tour of Australia as they were whitewashed 4-0. It was important for the team's morale to perform well in the CB Tri-Series, a tournament they had won under MS Dhoni's leadership in 2008.

India did not play to the best of their abilities. Dhoni adopted a rotation policy for senior players Sehwag, Tendulkar and Gambhir. What this ensured was that Virat Kohli got a consistent and secure run in the playing XI. A win against Sri Lanka would keep India in contention for the finals.

#2 Challenging run chase

Most ODI runs in a span of 5 innings:-

596: V Kohli (2012)
529: Hayden (2007)
520: V Kohli (2018)
515: Zaman (2018)
506: V Kohli (2017)

#OnThisDay Kohli made the iconic 133 and followed it with scores of 108, 66, 183, and 106 to create the best streak ever.

#ViratKohli https://t.co/8Hd3oDkrnw

It is almost never easy to chase more than a run-a-ball in ODI cricket, regardless of the conditions and the opponent. Chasing a 321-run target against Sri Lanka, India needed to score at a rate of over eight per over if they wanted to stay alive in the competition.

MS Dhoni ended up playing all three seniors in a must-win match in Hobart. This meant that Kohli had to go back to his number four spot.

He paced the innings beautifully. He went at just about run-a-ball until he brought up his half-century. After that, he showed a wide exhibition of strokes all over the ground. His fearless approach allowed the other batters to play freely and chase down the target.

Despite their impressive win, however, India failed to make the final that year.

#3 Virat Kohli's first major step towards greatness

MUST WATCH: Here's the extended version of the enthralling chat between cricket superstars Steve Smith and Virat Kohli.

Unreal #AUSvIND cricket.com.au/news/feature/s…

Virat Kohli admitted in an interview with Steve Smith that this was a game which made him feel like he belonged at the international level. Conquering a veteran fast bowler like Lasith Malinga certainly did a world of good to the 23-year-old's self-confidence.

The Delhi-born batsman just did not stop after this knock. He was incredibly consistent regardless of the format, conditions or opponents. Before he turned 25, he was already a force to be reckoned with. India have never seen a more talented and driven young batter apart from Tendulkar.