T20 WC: Virat Kohli shatters flurry of records against Bangladesh
Virat Kohli smashed his 36th T20I fifty during the Super 12 clash against Bangladesh in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Kohli paced his knock to perfection and brought up his third fifty of the tournament. He also became the highest run-scorer in T20 WC history during the course of his knock at the Adelaide Oval. Here we look at his feats.
Kohli extends his purple patch
Kohli arrived in the middle after skipper Rohit Sharma's departure in the fourth over. He was positive from the outset as Bangladesh bowlers struggled to contain him. The dashing batter reached his half-century off 37 balls. He remained unbeaten on 64 off 44 balls, a knock laced with eight boundaries and a six. As a result, India posted 184/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
Kohli climbs up the leaderboard
Kohli became the highest run-scorer in T20 WC history by crossing the 16-run mark in the contest. He went past Mahela Jayawardene's tally of 1,016 runs in the tournament. Besides Jayawardene, Kohli also surpassed Rohit Sharma, Tillakaratne Dilshan, and Chris Gayle's tally in the ongoing competition. The batting stalwart now has 1,065 runs in 25 games in the tournament.
Highest run-scorer in the 2022 edition
Kohli, who was struggling for form a few months ago, scored a memorable 82* against Pakistan in India's opener. He followed it up with an unbeaten 62 against Netherlands. Although he could garner only 12 runs against SA, he found his mojo back against Bangladesh. Notably, Kohli has now become the leading run-scorer in the ongoing competition with 220 runs in four games.
First player to amass 3,900-plus runs
Kohli became the first batter to breach the 3,900-run mark in T20Is. The 33-year-old now has 3,932 in 113 games. While he boasts an average of 53.14 in T20Is, his strike rate reads 138.45. The veteran batter has 36 fifties and a century in the shortest international format. No other batter has more than 33 fifty-plus scores in the format.
Kohli averages a whopping 96.50 versus Bangladesh
Kohli averages a whopping 96.50 against Bangladesh in the 20-over format. In five matches, the senior batter has managed 193 runs. His 64*-run knock today is now his best score. Overall, he has hit two fifties versus Bangladesh.
Astonishing record in Australia
Kohli has enjoyed batting in Australia and his numbers across formats reflect the same. The former Indian skipper has scored 3,350 runs Down Under in 57 international matches at an average of 56.77. He has 11 tons and 18 half-centuries in the continent. Among visiting batters, only Vivian Richards (4,529), Desmond Haynes (4,238), and Brian Lara (3,370) have more runs on Australian soil.
Fine memories at the Adelaide Oval
Kohli has played several sensational knocks at the Adelaide Oval which also includes his maiden Test ton. He even struck twin centuries on his Test captaincy debut at the venue. Overall, he has smashed 907 runs in 10 games at the ground with his average being 75.58 (50s: 3, 100s: 5). Only Lara (940) has more runs at the venue among visiting batters.
Most fifty-plus scores in World Cup events
Meanwhile, Kohli has now equaled Sachin Tendulkar's tally of most fifty-plus scores in World Cup events (ODIs and T20Is combined). Both batting stars have 21 fifty-plus scores at the event. Kohli has 19 fifties and a couple of hundreds under his belt.
