Virat Kohli's 5 best innings in 2016

Just a short while back, Virat Kohli's bravado used to elicit cringe. His arrogance and egotism were met with distaste from fans. His game was no doubt great, but the maturity was under question. Test captaincy brought a sea change in his approach, but the temperament to sustain his efforts, and clinch crucial moments, was still under question.

He turned it all around in 2016, a year in which he looked in breathtaking command of his game, in a one-sided battle against the bowlers that bordered on invincibility. 

Although there are quite a handful of innings to choose from, and each big knock was worth its weight in gold, here are the top five innings from “Kohli’s 2016”.

 

#5 90* vs Australia, Adelaide

Kohli’s highest score in T20Is, and the commencement of his red hot form in T20s this year, started off with this unbeaten knock in Australia. Coming in with the team on 40-1 inside the first five overs, Kohli saw Shikhar Dhawan walk back just as he entered, but decided to bring some calm by playing his natural strokes. 

He quickly developed a special liking for the leg-spinner, Cameron Boyce, who was taken to the cleaners with Kohli’s inside-out drives over covers. He compulsively stepped out against the spinners, including debutant Travis Head, who was carted to boundaries over his head. Against Shane Watson, he had a measured approach, placing the ball in gaps and running hard. Before you knew, he had gone past his fifty.

He didn’t let go of his favoured areas, as the covers boundary was scorched multiple times. Shaun Tait, on a comeback bid, was flicked off the pad for sixes. From the other end, Suresh Raina played the ideal second-fiddle, ensuring that Kohli had company during his assured knock. Eventually, the target of 189 proved to be too much for the hosts, and they fell short by 37 runs.