Virat Kohli’s 5 best T20 innings

Virat Kohli after win against Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2022 (Source: AFP)

India’s modern-day batting legend, Virat Kohli, had been one of the top performers in the T20 cricket, the shortest format of the game, till he hung up his boots in T20Is in 2024. Notably, Kohli bid adieu to the T20 internationals immediately after India won the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies. 

Meanwhile, the batting stalwart has continued to play in the IPL and has produced some crucial performances with the bat, even after his T20I retirement. 

Given Virat Kohli’s unmatched contribution in the T20 cricket, here’s a look at Virat Kohli’s five best innings in the shortest format of the game. 

Virat Kohli’s five best innings in T20s

82* vs Pakistan - Melbourne, T20 World Cup 2022

India, led by Rohit Sharma, were taking on the arch-rivals, Pakistan, in the 16th match of the T20 World Cup 2022. India skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and asked the Men in Green to bat first, who posted a total of 159 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the allotted 20 overs. 

While chasing the target, India were eyeing a defeat as they lost their four wickets at the score of just 31 runs. But it was Virat Kohli who held his nerves in a high-pressure situation, with 90,000 people watching there at the MCG. Kohli kept his calm and went on to play the most excellent T20I knock of his career to help India snatch victory from Pakistan’s jaws. 

Kohli scored an unbeaten 82 runs off just 53 balls, with six fours and four sixes, alongside a match-winning partnership of 113 runs for the fifth wicket with Hardik Pandya. His knock and partnership with Pandya (40) helped India chase down the target on the last ball of the game and register the game by four wickets. 

82* vs Australia - Mohali, T20 World Cup 2016

India and Australia faced off in a Super 10 game in Group 2 of the T20 World Cup 2016. Australia won the toss and decided to bat first at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. The Aussies posted 160 runs for the loss of six wickets in the first innings and set a decent target of 161 runs for India. 

While chasing the target, the Men in Blue looked in a spot of bother when they lost their three wickets at the score of just 49 runs in 7.4 overs. It was the time when Virat Kohli took charge of India’s run chase in this must-win game. Furthermore, Kohli smashed an unbeaten and match-winning knock of 82 runs off just 51 balls, with nine fours and two sixes. 

Kohli’s knock helped the hosts chase down the target in 19.1 overs, scoring 161 runs for the loss of four wickets and winning the game by six wickets. Virat Kohli also won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his game-changing knock. 

72* vs South Africa - Mirpur, T20 World Cup 2014

India were facing South Africa in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2014 in Mirpur. The Proteas won the toss and opted to bat first; they scored 172 runs for the loss of four wickets, courtesy of skipper Faf du Plessis’ 58-run knock, followed by JP Duminy’s 40-ball 45. 

While chasing the target, it was Virat Kohli once again who led India’s successful run chase. He scored 72 runs off just 44 balls, with five fours and two sixes, with a strike rate of 163.63, alongside stitching three crucial and match-winning partnerships with Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina. 

On the back of Kohli’s contribution, India crossed the mark in 19.1 overs, scoring 176 runs for the loss of four wickets and winning the semi-final by six wickets. Kohli was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his heroic role in India’s semi-final victory. 

109 vs Gujarat Lions - Bengaluru, IPL 2016

IPL 2016 was the edition that still displays Virat Kohli’s dominance in the shortest format of the game. He ended up as the leading run-scorer in the tournament, alongside achieving the record of ‘most runs in a single IPL edition’. Besides that, there were a few notable knocks in his most successful IPL season. 

One of them came against the Gujarat Lions in the 44th game of the tournament. The then-Lions’ skipper Brendon McCullum won the toss and invited Kohli’s RCB to bat first. After losing the first wicket to Chris Gayle early at the score of just 19 runs, the duo of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers made a partnership for RCB that is still remembered as one of the most significant partnerships in IPL history. 

The Kohli-De Villiers duo added 229 runs for the second wicket, with Virat Kohli smashing 109 runs off just 55 balls, with five fours and eight sixes. Apart from him, De Villiers also played a swashbuckling knock of 129 runs off just 52 balls, with 10 fours and 12 sixes. RCB won this game comfortably by 144 runs. 

113 vs KXIP - Bengaluru, IPL 2016

In the same 2016 edition, it was the 50th game of the tournament, in which RCB took on Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) at their home ground in Bengaluru. The visiting skipper, Murali Vijay, won the toss and asked the hosts to bat first. RCB’s opening pair of Chris Gayle and skipper Virat Kohli stitched a swashbuckling opening partnership of 147 runs in 11 overs. 

Kohli went on to smash another century in the tournament, scoring 113 runs off just 50 balls, with 12 fours and eight sixes, following Gayle’s 73 runs off just 32 balls. Kohli’s century helped RCB post a big total of 211 runs for the loss of just three wickets in the game, reduced to 15 overs. 

Later in the second innings, the match was further reduced to 14 overs, and the target was reduced to 203 runs for KXIP. The RCB bowlers restricted the visitors to the score of 120 runs for the loss of nine wickets in the entire 14 overs. Eventually, the hosts won the game by 82 runs (DLS method), with skipper Kohli winning the ‘Player of the Match’ award.