Virat Kohli finished his T20 International career impressively.
After struggling in earlier matches of the 2024 T20 World Cup, Kohli played remarkably well in the final against South Africa, scoring a crucial 76 runs that helped win the match.
He ended his outstanding T20 International career with a record 1,292 runs in T20 World Cups, the most by any player, from 2012 to 2024. His average was 58.72, with a strike-rate of 128.81.
Overall, Kohli scored 4,188 runs in 125 T20 International games, which is the second highest in this format. He averaged 48 with a strike rate of 137, hitting 38 fifties and one century.
“After the final,” Kohli, named Player of the Match, said, “It’s time for the next generation to lead. India has some amazing players who will carry the team forward.”
As he says goodbye, let’s remember Kohli’s top 10 innings in T20 Internationals:
82 not out (53 balls) vs Pakistan, MCG, 2022
In a thrilling match at the MCG during the 2022 T20 World Cup, Kohli played one of the best innings in T20 cricket history. His unbeaten 82 runs helped India achieve a remarkable victory over Pakistan.
India was struggling at 31/4 while chasing 160 runs. Kohli’s exceptional innings turned the game around, leading India to a thrilling four-wicket win against Pakistan.
Kohli’s innings, lasting 53 balls, included four sixes and six fours, proving his ability to score quickly in T20 cricket.
During a crucial moment when India seemed to be losing control of the match, Kohli hit two sixes in Haris Rauf’s final over, securing one of India’s most famous World Cup victories over Pakistan.
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76 (59 balls) vs South Africa, Barbados, 2024
In the 2024 T20 World Cup final, Kohli ended on a high note with a decisive innings. Despite struggling for runs earlier, he scored 76 runs from 59 balls. Named Player of the Match, his performance helped India win by seven runs. Starting slowly, he reached 50 runs from 48 balls, facing criticism for a cautious approach. However, he finished strongly, scoring 26 runs from the last 11 balls, including two sixes and two fours.
82 not out (51 balls) vs Australia, Mohali, 2016
Kohli, known for his skill in chasing runs, led India to victory in a T20 World Cup match against Australia in Mohali.
India needed 161 runs to win. At 49/3, they were struggling until Kohli stepped up. Despite losing wickets frequently, he didn’t get much help from the other players.
With 39 runs required from the final three overs, Kohli played aggressively, scoring 32 runs off just 11 balls. This effort helped India win the match with five balls left.
78 not out (61 balls) vs Pakistan, Colombo, 2012
Virat Kohli, when he was young, played an outstanding innings on a tough pitch.
Pakistan scored only 128 runs, which was not much. India lost an early wicket when Gautam Gambhir got out without scoring any runs.
But Kohli batted well and made a strong partnership of 75 runs with Virender Sehwag, who was returning to the team.
He hit nine boundaries and two sixes to lead India to victory in front of a full crowd.
Kohli started with a lucky boundary but then played some beautiful shots.
He played a great back foot cover drive against Saeed Ajmal and a lovely cover drive against Yasir Arafat. He also hit a six against Shahid Afridi.
Whether hitting shots through covers or playing on his back foot, Kohli played very well and was enjoyable to watch.
72 not out (44 balls) vs South Africa, Mirpur, 2014
Kohli displayed his skill in a challenging match against South Africa’s strong bowlers.
South Africa scored 172/4 runs. Despite this, India won in the last over thanks to Kohli. He dominated the game by scoring 72 runs from 43 balls. He hit five fours and two sixes, guiding India to the final.
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94 not out (50 balls) vs West Indies, Hyderabad, 2019
The West Indies faced a tough match against Kohli, who scored 94 runs from 50 balls in the first T20 International in Hyderabad.
West Indies had scored a big total of 207/5 on a flat pitch. India, despite losing Rohit Sharma early, started well with Kohli and K L Rahul (62 runs from 40 balls) adding 100 runs for the second wicket in 61 balls.
Kohli had a slow start, scoring 20 runs from the first 20 balls. After a heated exchange with West Indies’ Kesrick Williams, he turned things around. He reached his fifty in 35 balls and then accelerated, scoring 44 runs from the next 15 balls. He finished unbeaten on 94, his highest score in T20I at the time, helping India win by six wickets with eight balls to spare.
70 (29 balls) vs West Indies, Mumbai, 2019
A few days later, Virat Kohli once again showed his batting prowess against the West Indies.
After Rahul scored 91 runs from 56 balls and Rohit made 71 runs from 34 balls to give India a strong start, Kohli finished spectacularly. He scored 70 runs not out from just 29 balls, hitting four fours and seven sixes at a fast pace.
He achieved his fastest fifty in T20 Internationals, reaching 50 runs in only 21 balls, helping India reach a total of 240/3. India won the match by 67 runs, with the West Indies finishing on 173/8.
90 (55) vs Australia, Adelaide, January 2016
Kohli played exceptionally well, scoring an unbeaten 90 runs from 55 balls to help India reach a strong total of 188/3 in their first T20 International against Australia.
After openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma were out early in the game, Kohli partnered with Suresh Raina to add 134 runs for the third wicket, stabilizing India’s innings.
Virat Kohli dominated the middle overs, effortlessly finding gaps in the field to hit nine fours and two sixes.
Australia managed to score only 151 runs in response, losing the match by 37 runs.
80 from 52 balls vs England, Ahmedabad, 2021
Kohli returned to open for India in T20 cricket after a break, making a big impact in the deciding fifth match against England in Ahmedabad on March 20, 2021.
Given the chance to open alongside Rohit instead of Rahul, Virat Kohli hadn’t opened in T20 Internationals since 2018. He seized the opportunity, scoring an unbeaten 80 from 52 balls with seven fours and two sixes.
His partnership of 94 runs with Rohit off 54 balls set the stage for India’s huge total of 224/2 in 20 overs.
England managed 188/8 in response, losing by 36 runs as India won the series 3-2.
This innings marked a significant moment in Kohli’s T20 career.
Encouraged by his performance in Ahmedabad, Kohli began opening for RCB in IPL 2021 and has consistently scored heavily every IPL season since.
122 not out vs Afghanistan, Dubai, September 2022
Virat Kohli ended a long wait for a century in international cricket by scoring 122 runs in India’s 101-run victory over Afghanistan in the Asia Cup. It was his first hundred in over 1000 days. Kohli’s unbeaten innings helped India reach 212/2. This century was his 71st overall, matching Ricky Ponting’s record. He now trails only Sachin Tendulkar in total centuries. This was also Kohli’s first century in T20I, making him the fourth Indian to achieve this milestone across all three formats of international cricket.
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