ICC T20I Rankings: Sensational Virat Kohli storms into top 10
Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli stormed into the top 10 of the ICC T20I Rankings for Batsmen after leading from the front in his side's 2-1 series victory over West Indies. Kohli was superb in the series and ended as the highest run-scorer. The in-form KL Rahul rose to the sixth position. Here are further details.
Kohli was terrific in the three-match T20I series
Kohli helped India script their record run chase in the first match. Chasing 208, India went on to seal the match by six wickets. Kohli smashed a 50-ball 94* to wreck havoc. After scoring 19 in the second match, Kohli was back to his best in the decider. He smashed a 29-ball 70* to help India post 240/3. He had a strike-rate of 241.38.
Kohli enters top 10, Rahul moves to sixth
After a superb series, the 31-year-old Kohli moved five places to No.10. He now has 685 rating points and is one behind Rohit Sharma (686). Meanwhile, KL Rahul, who scored two superb fifties against WI, moved three places to number six. The top five batsmen kept their places intact. Babar Azam (879 points) leads the rankings with Aaron Finch following suit.
Kohli ends with 466 T20I runs in 2019
Kohli amassed 466 T20I runs from 10 matches in 2019. He is the leading run-scorer by an Indian batsman in the format this year. Kohli also boasts of a stupendous average (77.66). He smashed five half-centuries with a best of 94*. The likes of Rohit (396 runs) and Rahul (356 runs) follow suit. These two scored four fifties each.
Why is Kohli the best in T20Is?
Kohli has handed India many victories with the bat. When India are chasing a match, he gets even better. The champion batsman has the joint-most runs alongside Rohit Sharma in the format (2,663). He has achieved this feat in 70 innings. With an average of 52.66, Kohli is a true master of the game. He has the most fifty-plus scores (24).