Shane Watson of Australia celebrates after taking the wicket of Rohit Sharma of India during the ICC WT20 India Group 2 match between India and Australia. Source: Getty Images
How many times can you expect a player to win matches for you?
Count as many as you want, and this man is there. In the history of the game of cricket, no other player has become such a successful run chaser.
Look at a few facts and figures that make him the best chaser ever.
Chasing average
122.83 is Kohli’s average in successful run chases in T20 internationals. This is better than any other batsman in the world who has scored minimum 500 runs. In the 15 innings that he took India to victory, Kohli has scored 737 runs. And, above all, he remained unbeaten nine times. If you take all the T20 chases - including those India lost - Kohli averages 91.80, still better than any other batsmen.
Chasing total
Kohli has scored 918 runs already batting second in T20 internationals. He is second only to Brendum McCullum who has scored 1006 runs in chases. But, just compare the number of innings too: McCullum played 38 innings to reach 1006, while Kohli needed just 19 matches to go past 900.
1500 run mark
Kohli has completed 1552 runs in T20 internationals. He is the fastest batsman to reach the 1500 run mark, from just 39 innings. Kohli has overtaken Chris Gayle’s record of 44 innings. cCullum played 38 innings to reach 1006, while Kohli needed just 19 matches to go past 900.
Unbeatable class and timing
When chasing big scores, Kohli rarely misses any ball. In the last night’s game, he has middled more than 90% of the balls and edged/missed just a couple. dy> cCullum played 38 innings to reach 1006, while Kohli needed just 19 matches to go past 900.
Kohli vs Sachin
It is not the first time people comparing him to Sachin Tendulkar, but, after last night’s innings, many have gone one step ahead, praising him as better than the master blaster in chases. Sourav Ganguly was one among them.
Perfect Team Man
And finally, the best moment. Have you ever seen Kohli looking for the winning runs? He has a habit to letting the other player in crease do it, and most of the times it is the turn of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who himself is a great finisher.
Beyond T20
He is not only the best T20 chase, but in Tests and ODI cricket also, Kohli’s chasing records are better than any. In Tests he averages 68.88 in fourth innings with a total score of 620. This is the best fourth innings average for any batsman who has scored more than 500 runs in Test cricket.
In ODIs he averages 64.26 in chases, with a strike rate of 92.84. This also is the best for anyone who has scored more than 1000 runs. His aggregate score in 4049 runs in chasing innings, with 14 centuries and 21 half-centuries.
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