IPL Flashback: Virat Kohli rules the roost in the 2016 edition of the league
There comes a time in the life of every sportsperson when they can do no wrong. A period which some term as a 'purple patch' and some deem equivalent to having the 'Midas touch'.
In the 2016 edition of the Indian Premier League, Virat Kohli must have experienced something similar. He toyed with the opposition bowlers throughout the tournament, finishing with some mindboggling stats.
The RCB skipper scored a whopping 973 runs in that edition at an astounding average of 81.08. He also scored four hundreds, a feat that has never been accomplished before and, in all fairness, has bleak chances of being replicated in the future.
Kohli’s first hundred of the edition came against Gujarat Lions. His 100* off 63 balls was filled with pristine cover drives and exquisite flicks that left the opposition both awestruck and gasping for relief at the same time.
His second ton ( a whirlwind 58-ball 108*) came while chasing Rising Pune Supergiant's total of 191. The 'chase master' in him came to the fore and ensured that his team got home safe and sound.
Kohli yet again tormented Gujarat Lions when the two sides met again in the competition. The RCB skipper scored 109 off just 55 balls and, along with Ab de Villiers (129 off 52 balls), dismantled the opposition bowling attack.
His final hundred of the competition came against Kings XI Punjab in a match reduced to 15 overs. Kohli's whirlwind knock of 113 powered RCB to 211 in response to which, the Mohali-based outfit bundled out for 120.
Apart from this, Kohli scored seven fifties in the competition. He is, to this date, the only batsman to have aggregated over 900 runs in a single IPL season. Apart from that, no one other than him has scored four hundreds in a single edition of the cash-rich league.
Kohli was deservedly awarded the Man of The Tournament award for his stupendous run with the willow.
The India skipper has dissected several bowling attacks in his career and has broken several records with ease. His run in IPL 2016, though, is the shiniest jewel in his crown of achievements.
With that show of dominance, he showed that if one has the talent and the will to achieve something great, nothing is impossible.