2024 had been an uncharacteristically mediocre year for the maestro, as he spent most of it either throwing away his wicket in sheer frustration or succumbing to the same old technical hiccups
Virat Kohli (Pic: AFP)
After years of being subjected to relentless scrutiny from all corners due to rough patch with his bat, Virat Kohli chose the grandest of stages, the Champions Trophy, to silence the skeptics with a masterclass against Pakistan.
ADVERTISEMENT
Under the glaring lights of the Dubai International Stadium, the ‘run machine’ clocked in, dusted off his usual heroics, and rewrote the record books. This time, he leapfrogged Ricky Ponting to become the third-highest run-getter in international cricket and casually breezed past 14,000 ODI runs.
The collective sigh of relief from fans was almost audible as Kohli finally spent some quality time at the crease, playing his signature shots, rather than attempting a reckless early assault that ended in disaster.
2024 had been an uncharacteristically mediocre year for the maestro, as he spent most of it either throwing away his wicket in sheer frustration or succumbing to the same old technical hiccups, flirting with deliveries outside off-stump and showing an unusual generosity against spin bowlers.
CricViz, the ultimate cricket nerds, unearthed an amusing statistic that proves Kohli either feasts or starves, there is no in-between. According to their analysis, if he survives the first 30 balls of his innings (where he averages 38.1 with a strike rate of 82), he transforms into a cricketing deity. In the next 60 balls, he averages a ridiculous 87.4 and strikes at 102.
Since 2022, as per ESPNcricinfo, Kohli has racked up 1,916 runs in 45 ODIs at a cool average of 53.22 and a strike rate of 94.99, including eight centuries and 11 fifties, besides holding the record for the most ‘Player of the Match’ awards (five) against Pakistan in ICC tournaments, a feat that no other cricketer has managed against any single opponent.
Sunday's showdown was a classic case of 'so near, yet so far' for Pakistan. After winning the toss and opting to bat, they started decently enough, with Babar Azam (23 off 26) stroking a few elegant boundaries. But as per tradition, things derailed soon after. Mohammed Rizwan (46 off 77) and Saud Shakeel (62 off 76) thought soaking up deliveries was the way to go, forming a sluggish 104-run stand that did more for India’s bowlers than Pakistan’s scoreboard. A late attempt at fireworks from Khushdil Shah (38 off 39) and Naseem Shah (14) took Pakistan to 241 in 49.4 overs, but ultimately futile.
India’s chase, however, was a mere formality. Captain Rohit Sharma (20 off 15) provided a brief but entertaining cameo before exiting early. Then came a steady 69-run stand between Shubman Gill (46 off 52) and Kohli, followed by a dominant 114-run partnership between Kohli and Shreyas Iyer (56 off 67).
Kohli, playing the role of both anchor and aggressor, finished unbeaten on 100 off 111 balls, sealing India’s effortless six-wicket win with 45 deliveries to spare.
Pakistan tried. Kohli simply didn’t let them succeed. Again!
(With agency inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
