T20 World Cup 2021: 3 best Virat Kohli knocks
The stage is set for Indian skipper Virat Kohli to win his maiden T20 World Cup for India before he hands over the captaincy to his successor.
In the memorable 2016 edition of the tournament, the Delhi batsmen found sublime form as India made the semifinals only to lose to West Indies. The Caribbean side eventually won the title after pipping England in the final.
Kohli recently crossed the 10,000 run barrier in T20 cricket. In the international circuit, the 32-year-old has 3159 runs from 90 matches at an average of 52.65 and a strike rate of 139.04.
Ahead of the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup, we take a look at three of his most scintillating knocks in the tournament.
#1 Virat Kohli slams 51-ball-82* vs Australia (2016)
Virat Kohli's iconic kneeling down celebration after chasing Australia's 161 at Chandigarh was a moment to remember for Team India fans. His 51-ball-82* was studded with nine fours, with six of them coming between the 17th and the 18th over to take India across the line and book a semifinal date with the West Indies.
Kohli stood firm in the chase along with MS Dhoni (18* off 10 balls) as the duo took India home with five balls to spare.
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#2 Kohli's 44-ball-72* vs South Africa (2014)
In a stiff chase of 171, Virat Kohli took the attack to the Proteas bowling attack with a sparkling 44-ball-72 in the second-semifinal at Mirpur. India lost openers Rohit Sharma (32) and Ajinkya Rahane (24) after a solid start. The match also saw a struggling Yuvraj Singh (17-ball-18), but Kohli kept India in the hunt to chase the target and register a six-wicket win.
Earlier, Ravichandran Ashwin's three-for was pivotal in restricting SA after Faf du Plessis (58) and JP Duminy (45) laid the groundwork for cameos by AB de Villiers and David Miller. They ended with 172 for four in their 20 overs.
#3 Virat Kohli's 61-ball-78 vs Pakistan (2012)
A tricky 129 chase saw India lose opener Gautam Gambhir for a duck. Virender Sehwag (29) and Virat Kohli (78*) steadied the ship to see the team home and hand Pakistan a loss at Colombo.
Coming in at No.3, his 78 was studded with eight fours and two sixes as India romped home to an eight-wicket win. Yuvraj Singh played his part with a composed 16-ball-19 as India reached the target in 17 overs.
It was a solid overall contribution from Virat Kohli as he even bowled three overs for 21 runs and picked up the wicket of Mohammed Hafeez in the process.