What is Virat Kohli's record against Pakistan in T20 World Cups?
Former Team India skipper Virat Kohli is arguably the greatest batter of modern-day cricket. As the saying goes, 'when the going gets tough, the tough get going,' Kohli has similarly scaled his performance against tougher opponents, including Pakistan.
The arch-rivals have produced many thrilling encounters in the past, with Kohli playing his part whenever he has featured in those clashes. They have previously clashed seven times in T20 World Cups, with the Men in Blue taking the honors five times. Pakistan won only once, while the other game ended in a tie with India winning it in Bowl Out.
Kohli has aggregated 488 runs in 10 T20I innings against the Men in Green. The statistics shoot to 308 runs in five innings alone in T20 World Cups, including four not-outs, which truly justifies that he is a player of big occasions. He averages a staggering 308 against the neighboring nation and has four half-centuries.
The 2012 T20 World Cup, which was hosted by Sri Lanka, was the first Virat Kohli played against Pakistan in an ICC event in the shortest format. The right-handed batter scored a breathtaking 78* off 61 balls with the aid of eight boundaries and two sixes to help the Men in Blue gun down 129 runs in 17 overs.
Two years later, the Delhi lad played another defining knock in a low-scoring game in Dhaka. Chasing 131, Kohli played a patient knock and stitched together a 66-run partnership with Suresh Raina to see the team through. He remained unbeaten on 36 off 32 balls with the help of four boundaries and one six.
The ace batter was called into action again two years later at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The match was reduced to 18 overs and Pakistan posted 118/5 on a sluggish wicket. The Men in Blue were reduced to 23/3 with Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, and Suresh Raina getting out cheaply.
On a wicket that looked difficult to bat on, Virat Kohli produced another masterclass to awe the Kolkata crowd. He remained unbeaten on 55 off 37 balls, including seven boundaries and one six, to help the team cross the line in just 15.5 overs.
India suffered their first defeat against Pakistan in T20 World Cups during the 2021 edition at the Dubai International Stadium. After Shaheen Afridi rocked India early, Virat Kohli stood tall against all odds to help India post a challenging total on the board. He scored 57 off 49 balls to propel the team to 151/7 in 20 overs. However, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan chased down the total in just 17.5 with 10 wickets intact.
The last meeting between the two cricketing giants in front of a packed Melbourne crowd in 2021 saw Virat Kohli produce arguably the greatest T20 knock. Chasing 160 runs against a star-studded Pakistan bowling attack, Rohit and KL Rahul failed to make an impact. The onus was once again on Kohli to steer the team home but he lost two partners at the other end, with India staring down the barrel at 31/4.
But Kohli got an able ally in Hardik Pandya, who fought all odds, to stitch together a match-defining partnership. The two brought the equation to 31 off the last two overs before Kohli unleashed his magic. He played an out-of-the-world shot to dispatch Haris Rauf to stun the packed stadium before hitting one more off the last ball over the fine leg region to bring the equation to 16 off the last six balls.
The 35-year-old struck another six off Mohammad Nawaz in the final over to take India to an emphatic victory. Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 82 runs off 52 balls at a strike rate of 154.71. He struck six boundaries and four maximums in arguably what was his best T20I knock.
How did Virat Kohli fare in the last game against Ireland?
Although India secured a comprehensive eight-wicket victory in their T20 World Cup opener against Ireland, Virat Kohli had a difficult outing. He got out after scoring only one run off five deliveries.
He was in superb form in IPL 2024 before landing in the US for the World Cup and will look to hit the straps against Pakistan on Sunday.