The evolution of Virat Kohli in T20 International Cricket
Virat Kohli is in majestic touch, it doesn’t matter in which format he plays, he stamps his authority over bowlers. But if we take a closer look at how he does it and his stupendous success in T20 form might bemuse a lot. He is neither a six-hitter like Dhoni or Gayle nor does he rely on unconventional shots like the “Dilscoop”, the helicopter shot, the reverse sweep, the switch hit or the unimaginable shots that AB de Villiers plays in T20/ODI cricket.
These unconventional shots and six hitting ability is considered as necessary ammunition to succeed in T20 cricket but Virat plays conventional shots in all three format of the game. He has managed to establish himself as most successful T20 player without taking the risks and going for glory shots that others do.
What is most impressive about Virat Kohli is that he hasn’t ditched his textbook shots to succeed in T20 cricket. Instead, he went back to his core of textbook shots which made him a player who can hit all around the park and has the option of playing two or three different shots on every ball.
When he started to play for India, he was more of a leg side player and was having problems facing deliveries aimed at the 4th and 5th stump line. He has not only recognised his shortcomings but also removed them successfully. If someone watches Kohl nowadays playing those exquisite, breath-taking cover drives, they will never realise that once Kohli was predominantly an onside player.
Another aspect that he has improved is, reducing the percentage of dot balls in his innings. He has become a player who, in the middle overs, scores most of the runs by running hard between the wicket rather than taking unnecessary risks and throwing away his wickets. This alone makes him a great threat for opponents because most of them wait for batsmen to take unnecessary risks to get their wicket.
Evolving oneself by removing shortcomings is a sign of a player who is destined for greatness and Kohli seems to be on the cusp of it.
At the start of his career, the elegant right-hander used to bat lower down the order and was not able to contribute much to the team’s cause. In 5 innings, that he played lower down the order in T20Is, he just managed to score just 59 runs at an average of mere 29.50.
Few years later, good sense prevailed as Dhoni and others in Indian team think-tank realised that Kohli relies more on timing than on power. Kohli was promoted to number three and as they say, rest is history. His game which was better suited to anchor the innings and set the tempo for the team finally found its niche. This was more suited than to his style rather than forcing him to bat lower down the order and burden him with forcible power hitting to finish the inning.
Batting at number three in T20 cricket, Kohli in his 34 innings has scored 1395 runs at a staggering average of 58.12. He has been a revelation at the position not just for Indian cricket but for the world. His year on year stats reveals how he is scaling new heights and improving as a cricketer.
| Duration | Innings | Run | Average | Strke Rate | 50s |
| Jan 2010 to Dec 2011 | 5 | 87 | 21.75 | 119.17 | 0 |
| Jan 2012 to Dec 2013 | 14 | 500 | 38.46 | 132.62 | 4 |
| Jan 2014 to Dec 2015 | 9 | 429 | 71.50 | 135.75 | 5 |
| Jan 2016 to 27 Mar 2016 | 11 | 536 | 107.20 | 133.66 | 6 |
Another criteria, which can make any player great is his performance in away matches and in this regard Virat Kohli is far ahead from his contemporaries
| Innings | Runs | Average | 50s | |
| Home Matches | 13 | 437 | 39.72 | 3 |
| Away Matches | 26 | 1115 | 65.58 | 12 |
Since his arrival, India has won 29 matches, in which he has scored 1169 runs at an average of 73.06. His match-winning capability can be seen from the fact that in the 17 match that India won while chasing Virat Kohli has scored 737 runs at a staggering average of 122.83 at the time of writing. Yes you have read it right that’s the batting average, not the strike rate.
Another fact that reflects his match-winning capability is that out of his 15 T20 international 50s, 12 has led Team India to victory. He relishes the big moment and thrives under pressure. His love for big stages can be seen from the fact that in World Cup T20 since 2012, he has played 15 matches and scored 688 runs at an average of 76.44 with 8 fifties.
Virat Kohli not only contributes big in India’s win but also remains till the last to see India across the line. He has hit 8 match winning 50s while chasing; remaining not out in 6 of them proves that.
The T20 career of Virat Kohli has just started. He might have played a mere 42 T20Is but he has already shown the world what capabilities he possesses; destroying the opponents with proper cricketing shots.
In an era where purists are hating T20 cricket because it is destroying the beauty of the game (as perceived by them). Virat Kohli has come as fresh air and once again restored the faith of the purists that technique and conventional cricket matters the most to be successful at the highest level and that’s true even in T20Is.