Virat Kohli slams a ton after 1,020 days: Key stats
Ace Indian batter Virat Kohli shut his critics with a thunderous 61-ball 122* against Afghanistan in Thursday's Asia Cup clash. He broke the shackles to claim his maiden ton in T20Is. Most notably, he ended the long-standing wait of 1,020 days without scoring a ton at the international arena. He looks hungrier than ever and one could see another peak from the talented batter.
King Kohli returns!
Kohli's hundred saw him race to 276 runs across before India signed out of the Asia Cup. He is currently the highest run-getter in the tourney, with Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan (212) trailing him. Kohli averaged a monstrous 92.00, striking at 147.59. His scores read: 35, 59*, 60, 0, and finally 122*. Clearly, the break from cricket served Kohli well, bringing his vintage self.
Kohli called time on his Test captaincy
Earlier this year, Kohli stepped down as India's captain in Test cricket a day after the visitors lost the three-match Test series 1-2 to South Africa. He gave up his captaincy in T20Is post the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, having informed the same prior to the tourney. The BCCI had later sacked him as captain in 50-over cricket, with Rohit Sharma replacing him.
Kohli had a dismal run by his standards in IPL
Kohli, who is the highest run-getter in IPL (6,624), had a dry run for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2022 edition. He managed 341 runs while averaging a mere 22.73. Not to forget, he struck at a modest rate of 115.98. He recorded three ducks. Kohli notched two fifties, with one of them coming in a losing cause (53-ball 58 vs Gujarat Titans).
1,000 days without scoring a ton!
In April, Kohli played his 100th competitive game without scoring a century (17 Tests, 21 ODIs, 25 T20Is, and 37 IPL matches). His last century came in 2019 during the Day/Night Test against Bangladesh in Kolkata. He had scored 136 off 194 during India's first innings. On August 19, Kohli completed 1,000 days without scoring a ton. Everything has now been put to rest.
Kohli was inactive for a long time
Kohli was rested for the three T20Is against Sri Lanka in February earlier this year. He didn't feature in the five-match series against SA and the two T20Is versus Ireland held post IPL. He was rested for the entire tour of the Caribbean Islands comprising three ODIs and five T20Is. He missed the ODI series in Zimbabwe to come up fresh for Asia Cup.
'Tried to fake my intensity'
Ahead of the Asia Cup, Kohli opened up about his mental health. "I didn't think I'd go a month without touching my bat, but the situation became such that I had to take a break. More mentally than physically," he said in an interview with Star Sports. Kohli also realized that he was kind of "trying to fake my intensity a bit".
Kohli's average drops below 50 in T20Is, Tests
Before the Asia Cup game against Pakistan (August 28), Kohli averaged 50.12 in T20Is. His average fell below 50 (49.89) post a 34-ball 35 against the arch-rivals. In March this year, Kohli's Test average dropped below 50 after the Day/Night Test against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. Kohli couldn't do much with the willow and managed scores of 23 and 13.
Most ducks in a calender year (T20s)
Kohli managed a crunch 35 in India's opening match of the Asia Cup 2022. He followed with fifties against Hong Kong and Pakistan. However, he was dismissed cheaply in a must-win affair versus Sri Lanka (0). It was his fourth duck in T20s in 2022, most by him in a calendar year. Kohli had registered three ducks in T20s back in 2014.
Kohli equals Ponting's century count
Kohli is now joint-second highest in terms of international tons. He has equaled the mark of Ricky Ponting (71). Sachin Tendulkar (782 innings) leads the show. Kohli has raced to 71 tons in 522 innings. Meanwhile, Ponting took 668 innings.
When did Kohli score his last ODI ton?
Kohli's last ODI ton was against West Indies in August 2019. He had slammed 114* off 99 deliveries. He hasn't brought up a hundred in 50-over cricket since then. He has averaged a mediocre 35.82 in this period, with 10 fifties. Hopefully, the batting maestro figures out a way to break the shackles in this format as well.
