Top 7 best innings of Virat Kohli in T20I cricket

Virat Kohli announced his T20I retirement after winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Virat Kohli has ended his T20I career on a high as he announced his retirement from the shortest format of international cricket after helping India lift the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy in Barbados. He was the Man of the Match in the final against South Africa.

It has been a phenomenal career for him, and he has certainly lived up to expectations all the time. At the time of his retirement, he is the second-highest run-scorer in T20Is.

It has been a career with many highs and a few lows. Even during his lean patch in 2021-22, Kohli often rocked up in the shortest format to win games for India. It is difficult to choose a few from several good and great knocks from Kohli’s T20I career. We bring you the top seven knocks of Kohli in T20Is.

List of Top 7 best innings of Virat Kohli in T20I cricket:

7 – 72* vs South Africa, T20 World Cup 2014 Semi-final

Virat Kohli retired as the best batter in the ICC T20 World Cups, having piled up the most number of runs in this competition and led India to numerous victories. One of his clutch innings came against South Africa in the semi-final of the 2014 edition.

India were given a target of 173 runs in the semi-final. Kohli stepped up to score 72 unbeaten runs off 43 balls, with five fours and two sixes, and finished the game. He won the MOTM award, and India qualified for the final.

6 – 70 (29) vs West Indies, Mumbai, 2019

Virat’s fastest fifty in T20Is came in this match against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in 2019. He smashed a 21-ball fifty while playing a blistering knock. India posted a total of 240/3, with KL Rahul (91 off 56) and Rohit Sharma (71 off 34) giving India a formidable start. Captain Kohli came and gave the team a great finish with his 70 not out off just 29 balls, with four fours and seven sixes at a strike rate of 241. India won the game by 67 runs.

5 – 82* vs Pakistan, T20 World Cup 2022

No one can forget the knock that Kohli played in front of a full-house crowd at the MCG in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 against Pakistan. He took India to victory from a position that seemed impossible against the Pakistani bowlers. India were at 4/31 in 6.1 overs while chasing 160. From that position, India went on to win the match on the last ball.

He added 113 runs with Hardik Pandya (40 off 37) and took the pressure of finishing the game on his own shoulders. Who can forget his two sixes of Haris Rauf, which brought India back into the game? Kohli scored an unbeaten 82 off 53 balls, with six fours and four sixes, to play one of the best T20I knocks ever.

4 – 76 vs South Africa, T20 World Cup 2024 final

It took India 17 years to win their second T20 World Cup after the 2007 T20 World Cup triumph. Once again, it was Virat Kohli who played a match-winning knock after India lost early wickets in the final. He had scored only 75 runs in seven innings before the final, but recorded 76 precious runs in the biggest game of the tournament.

India were 33/3 in 4.3 overs and Virat took India to a slightly under-par score of 176/7 on a good pitch. Axar Patel (47 off 31) and Shivam Dube (27 off 16) played around him. Virat made 76 off 59 balls, with six fours and two sixes. Eventually, India won the game by seven runs, and Virat won the Man of the Match award. While receiving the award, Kohli announced his T20I retirement.

3 – 82* vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2016

Virat Kohli has many memorable knocks in the ICC T20 World Cups. Among his top three will be his epic innings against Australia in what was a virtual quarter-final in Mohali during the 2016 edition.

India were chasing the target of 161 runs and were at 49/3 in 7.4 overs. Virat then took the onus on him to gun the target down. He made important partnerships with Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni.

India needed 39 runs in the last three overs to qualify for the semis. Virat hit 32 of them in only 11 balls and took the side over the line with five balls to spare. He scored an unbeaten 82 off 51 balls, with nine fours and two sixes.

2 – 94* vs West Indies, Hyderabad, 2019

When it comes to chases in the game, Kohli stands in a league of his own. He was the top-scorer for India in their second-highest run chase in T20I cricket when he tore apart West Indies’ Kesrick Williams after some exchange of words. India were chasing a mammoth target of 28 runs.

Virat scored a 35-ball fifty and then piled another 44 off next 15 balls. He remained unbeaten on 94 off 50 balls, with six fours and six sixes, and India made 209/4 in 18.4 overs to win the game. Williams went for 60/0 in 3.4 overs.

1 – 122* vs Afghanistan, Dubai, 2022

Virat Kohli registered 38 half-centuries in his T20I career and has one hundred. That century was the most awaited one, because it was his first international century after almost three years, which he smashed against Afghanistan during the 2022 Asia Cup.

He reached his century in 52 balls and finished with 122* off 61 balls, with 12 fours and six sixes. India made 212/2 and won the game by 101 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 5/4 in that game while defending the total.

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