How has Virat Kohli fared in major ICC finals over the years?

Team India and Australia are set to lock horns in the all-important World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final. The much-awaited fixture is scheduled to start at the Kennington Oval in London today.

The surface is expected to be highly conducive for pace bowling, meaning that Indian batters will have their task cut out. The Indian unit will be hopeful that the senior players take the onus of delivering under testing conditions.

Much will be resting upon the shoulders of Virat Kohli, who will enter the match on the back of a great IPL 2023 campaign. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter scored 639 runs at an average of 53.25 and finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer this season.

Here's how Virat Kohli has performed for India in ICC Finals 🏏👀

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Although he hasn't had a terrific record in away Tests of late, Kohli's experience of playing in high-octane clashes makes him a vital asset for Team India in the upcoming match.

Ahead of the highly anticipated WTC final, we take a look back at how Virat Kohli has fared in all his previous major ICC finals for India over the years.

#5 ICC 2011 World Cup final vs Sri Lanka - 35 (49) in Mumbai

Virat Kohli vs Sri Lanka during 2011 World Cup Final [BCCI]

The match that is closest to all Indian cricket fans, the ICC 2011 World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka, saw the Men in Blue lift their first 50-over title after 28 years.

Interestingly, it was also Kohli's first-ever major ICC tournament final game for India. He was just 22 years old in 2011 and made a vital contribution with the bat in the summit clash.

Coming to bat after the fall of two legends in Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, Kohli stitched together a crucial 83-run partnership with Gautam Gambhir.

Kohli scored 35 runs off 49 balls before a blinder of a catch by Tillakaratne Dilshan off his own bowling ended his innings.

#4 ICC Champions Trophy 2013 final vs England - 43 (34) in Birmingham

England v India: Final - ICC Champions Trophy [Getty Images]

The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 was the last ICC event that Team India won. The Men in Blue defeated England in the final in Birmingham, and Virat Kohli played a crucial role once again.

After the 50-over game was truncated to 20 overs due to rain, Kohli top-scored for his side with a 34-ball 43. While England bowlers did really well to restrict India to 129/7, Kohli's innings made sure that India get to a respectable total.

m India bowlers defended the score in the second innings when they restricted England to only 124/8. All three - Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ishant Sharma - took two wickets each.

#3 ICC T20 World Cup 2014 final vs Sri Lanka - 77 (58) in Dhaka

Virat Kohli vs Sri Lanka during ICC T20 World Cup Final 2014 [BCCI].

Inarguably Kohli's best knock in a major final came against Sri Lanka at the ICC T20 World Cup 2014 final in Dhaka. The modern-day master was superlative throughout the campaign and also scored 77 runs in the summit clash.

He was the only Indian player to show up in the finals as, despite his half-century, India could only muster 130 runs in the first innings.

Courtesy of an unbeaten 52 by Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka hunted down the target with 2.1 overs to spare.

While the Lankans lifted their first-ever T20 World Cup, Kohli was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his 319 runs (at an average of 106.33).

#2 ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final vs Pakistan - 5 (9) in London

India v Pakistan - ICC Champions Trophy Final

Perhaps the only time Kohli failed in an ICC final was when he was out for a single-digit score against Pakistan at the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final.

Batting first, Pakistan posted 338/4 on the board, with Fakhar Zaman scoring a superb 106-ball 114.

In reply, India had a horrendous start, losing Rohit Sharma in the very first over. Mohammed Amir proved to be a menace as he ransacked the Indian top order. In his second over, he took another prized wicket of Kohli, who scored only five runs off nine balls.

India went on to lose the match by a huge margin of 180 runs. It still remains India's last limited-overs ICC final.

#1 ICC World Test Championship 2019-21 final vs New Zealand - 44 & 13 in Southampton

India v New Zealand - ICC World Test Championship Final: Day 3

In the last World Test Championship final in 2021, Virat Kohli scored 44 and 13 in the two innings, respectively, against New Zealand at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.

Under rainy conditions, no Indian batter batted with authority as India went on to lose the game by eight wickets as New Zealand became the maiden WTC champions.

A similar task once again beckons Kohli, who would be eager to help India get their hands on their first ICC trophy after 10 long years.