Champion batter Virat Kohli's sensational T20I numbers stand testament to his versatility
He may have only retired from T20Is, but it's still a really difficult task to pen a tribute to Virat Kohli for his humungous contribution to Indian cricket in the format. After all, what can one say about the man that has already not been written?
With 4188 runs from 117 innings at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 137.04, he is the second-leading run-getter in the T20I format, behind only Rohit Sharma. He is one of only three players with over 4000 runs in the T20 format in international cricket - Babar Azam being the other. With one hundred and 38 fifties, he is also the joint-record holder for the batter with most 50-plus scores.
Looking beyond all the wonderful stats, if there is one big takeaway from Kohli's T20I career, it's his amazing versatility, which has allowed him to flourish in the format. With all due credit to the legend, his natural game is not suited to the T20 version of the sport, where slam-bang hitting is the order of the day. And yet, Kohli has not only adapted to the format but also retired as one of its top batters.
Virat Kohli devised his own method to succeed in T20Is
There have been times when Kohli's strike rate in the format has been questioned. It has also led to some not-so-pleasant jibes between him and some esteemed members of the commentary box, who are themselves legends of the game. But, given the kind of success he has achieved in T20Is with his style of play, it will be very difficult, almost impossible, to question his approach.
The brilliant numbers the 35-year-old has produced in the format are testimony to the fact that one does not need to throw one's bat at everything to score quickly in T20I cricket. Whenever Kohli has tried to play in that mode, he has struggled to score runs. The same was evident in the recently concluded 2024 T20 World Cup. In the final, he backed his natural game and produced the results.
The standout aspect of Kohli's batting in the T20I format was the fact that he could score quick runs and find the big hits at will, without having to resort to slogging. The former India captain could make up for the lack of boundaries with his sensational running between the wickets. And, once he got his eye in, he possessed the ability to go on a big-hitting spree by playing technically-correct cricketing strokes.
In a way, the right-handed batter's knock in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa in Barbados was the prototype of a typical Kohli knock in T20Is. After a breezy start, he took his time to settle in. There was a period when the big hits weren't coming, but he played some amazing strokes at the end to significantly boost his strike rate and, in the process, the team's total.
After hitting three fours in the first over, he was forced to rein himself in as skipper Rohit Sharma (9), Rishabh Pant (0), and Suryakumar Yadav (3) all fell cheaply inside the powerplay. Kohli needed 48 balls to reach his half-century, which included only four boundaries.
The former India skipper, however, opened up immediately after reaching his fifty. He slammed Kagiso Rabada for a maximum over long-on and launched a slower ball behind square leg sweeper for four. In the penultimate over, a full toss on the pads from Marco Jansen was whipped through backward square for a boundary. Another loose ball was then whacked over wide midwicket.
Virat Kohli in T20Is
Kohli fell in the same over, but he had done his job. From 50 off 48, he had raced to 76 off 59 balls - a game-defining knock that featured six fours and two sixes. The right-hander had struggled throughout the competition but reserved his best for the grand final, which is exactly what champions do.
A dominant force in the T20 World Cup
The bigger the stage, the better the performance - that is the manta for legends. And the same holds for Kohli as well. He is the leading run-getter in the T20 World Cup, having amassed 1292 runs in 33 innings at an average of 58.72 and a strike rate of 128.81, with 15 half-centuries.
His fine knock in the 2024 T20 World Cup final marked the perfect farewell for the batting legend. And one could see it coming for Kohli has been at utmost ease while featuring in the ICC event. He has pretty much made this grand stage his own over the years.
It was in the T20 World Cup that Kohli scored a sensational 82* off 53 against Pakistan at a packed MCG in 2022. His 72* off 44 in Mirpur in 2014 saw India knock out South Africa in the semis. He also played brilliant knocks in the 2014 final against Sri Lanka and in the semifinal of the 2016 edition against West Indies in Mumbai. The performances, though, went in vain due to lack of support.
Virat Kohli in T20 World Cups
Kohli was the leading run-getter in the 2014 and 2022 T20 World Cups and the second-leading run-getter in the 2016 edition played at home. He signed off with Player of the Match performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup final.
After so many heartbreaks, it was almost as if God himself decided to write this farewell script. For sure, from fans to teammates and perhaps, even opponents, everyone would be happy for Kohli. He has, after all, earned the respect of everyone by his astonishing artistry with the willow in T20Is.