The date was 23 October 2022, the ground was Melbourne Cricket Ground. Chasing a target of 160 runs, the Indian team had lost its first 4 wickets for just 31 runs. Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Surya Kumar Yadav all got out cheaply.
But they forgot that Kohli, who has taken the responsibility of defeating Pakistan alone for the last 10 years, is still standing at the crease.
And he is going to play such a historic innings which will become immortal in the cricket world forever.
Today we are going to tell you the top 5 innings of Kohli which made Kohli “Virat”
5) 183 vs. Pakistan Asia Cup 2012
The 5th match of Asia Cup 2012 was played between India and Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium. Batting first, Pakistan scored a huge score of 329 runs in 50 overs. Hafeez and Jamshed scored brilliant centuries from Pakistan side. Both scored 105 and 112 runs respectively.
The first wicket of the Indian team fell in the form of Gambhir at 0 runs while facing the target.
Now the responsibility of increasing the score fell on the most senior players of India, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Sachin got out after scoring 52 runs.
24-year-old young batsman Kohli was batting in a different style today. All the senior players sitting in the pavilion were applauding Kohli’s boundaries. And today India had got a new Sachin. Kohli scored 183 runs with the help of 22 fours and 2 sixes in just 148 balls. India won this match by 6 wickets.
4) 169 vs. Australia (Test Series 2014)
India went to Australia to play a 4-Test match series. Where India lost the first 2 test matches badly. All the former Australian cricketers had assumed that Australia will beat India 4-0.
But the story was yet to come. In the third test, Australia scored a huge score of 530 runs by losing 10 wickets in the first innings. In which Smith played a brilliant innings of 192 runs. In reply, India lost all its wickets at 465 runs.
Virat Kohli played a brilliant innings of 169 runs from India’s side. Due to which India was successful in drawing this test.
However, India lost this test series 2-0. Kohli scored the highest runs from India by scoring 692 runs in 8 innings.
3) 81* vs. Australia T20 World Cup 2016
The 2016 T20 World Cup was very special for India. In this World Cup, India reached the semi-finals.
In this World Cup itself, India had to play its last match of the group stage against Australia. This match was like a knockout for India.
Australia’s openers gave a great start to the innings after batting first. Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja made a strong partnership. Both of them �
Australia scored 160 runs at the loss of 6 wickets in 20 overs.
Indian team’s early wickets went cheap while chasing the target of 161 runs. Then everyone’s eyes were on Virat Kohli.
Kohli also did not disappoint the fans and scored a brilliant half century. At one point India needed 67 runs in the last 6 overs. But as long as Kohli was there, there was no need to worry. Kohli played a strong innings of 82 runs in 51 balls and India won a very exciting match by 6 wickets.
2) 89* vs. West Indies World Cup 2016
Kohli played a strong innings of 89 runs in 47 balls against West Indies in the T20 World Cup 2016 semi-final. This innings took Kohli’s confidence and morale to a new level. This innings of Kohli created a new record in the cricket world. However, India lost this match to West Indies.
1) 82* vs. Pakistan World Cup 2022
This is the same innings that shut the mouths of all the critics of Kohli. Kohli’s innings in the stadium packed with a crowd of 1 lakh has become immortal forever.
At one time India was close to defeat but Kohli and Hardik together made a great partnership.
India needed 48 runs in the last 3 overs. Kohli hit 17 runs in the over of Shaheen Afridi who came to bowl 18 overs. In the 19th over, Harris Rauf gave only 2 runs in the first 4 balls. Now India needed 28 runs in the last 8 balls to win, now the match had come to do or die. The six hit by Kohli on the 5th ball of Rauf was considered “Shot of the Century”. Kohli also hit a six on the last ball of Rauf.
Now India needed only 15 runs in the last over. The last over was given by captain Babar Azam to Mohammad Nawaz in which Kohli hit a brilliant 6 to give India the victory.
These innings of Kohli have become immortal forever.
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