Virat Kohli's 5 greatest run-chases for India

Virat Kohli has developed a reputation for being a chase expert, and it seems whenever the target is huge and seemingly beyond reach, Virat Kohli steps up and delivers for his team. He did this against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, and again in the World T20, and all sides know by now that as long Virat is at the crease no target is out of India's reach.Over the years Virat Kohli has helped India chase down many targets, however, we are looking for those instances where Virat Kohli scored 100s to helped team India chase down 300+ targets in ODIs.Please note that the run chases are not ranked in any particular order.

#1 vs Sri Lanka (24 Dec, 2009) at Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Target - 315

Virat Kohli - 107

India were struggling at 23/2 chasing a target of 315, with both Sehwag and Tendulkar in the pavilion before the end of the 4th over.

Virat Kohli then walked in and put on a partnership of 224 run with Gautam Gambhir to not just bring India back into the game, but put them into a position of dominance. Virat Kohli scored 107 runs of which 50 runs came in boundaries. India chased down the target in 48.3 overs.

#2 vs Australia (30 Oct, 2013) at VCA Stadium, Nagpur

Target - 351

Virat Kohli - 115

The Nagpur pitch which has come in for a lot of criticism lately for the amount of purchase the spinners have found off the wicket, however when Australia and India faced off in 2013, the pitch was a bowlers graveyard and a batsman's heaven.

Watson and Bailey had both scored 100s to help Australia set a target of 350. Indian batsmen too made an excellent start on that surface, and the 1st wicket fell with the score on 178 in the 30th over. India were required to score at nearly 8.3 runs per over from there to win the match.

Scoring 8.3 is no easy task, and the odds were still in favor of Australia at that point, especially as India so far had been scoring at just over 6 runs per over. but Virat Kohli took on the challenge and smashed an unbeaten 115 off just 66 deliveries at a phenomenal strike rate of 174.24 to guide India to victory with three balls left.

#3 vs Pakistan (18 Mar, 2012) at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Target - 329

Virat Kohli - 183

India faced off against Pakistan in a must-win encounter of the 2012 Asia Cup, and batting first Pakistan put on a total of 329 runs, thanks to 100s from Naseer Jamshed, and Mohammad Hafeez.

Chasing 329 is never an easy task in the most inconsequential of matches, let alone in a must win game of a multi-nation event, and that too against your arch rivals.

India lost their first wicket with the score still on 0, but Sachin Tendulkar took over to guide India to 133 in less than 20 overs. However when Sachin Tendulkar fell at that point after a brisk 50, India were in clearly in trouble.

Virat Kohli then stepped up to shoulder the burden of the chase and put on a partnership of 172 runs with Rohit Sharma in which Sharma's contribution was a mere 68 runs. The Pakistan bowling line up, which had the likes of Saeed Ajmal and Wahab Riaz in their ranks started to disappear to all parts of the ground.

Kohli's knock of 183 was punctuated by 22 fours, and Kohli got out with India needing just 12 more runs to win off 17 balls. With MS Dhoni to follow, this proved to be an easy task as India finished off the target just 4 balls later, to win with more than 2 overs to spare.

#4 vs Australia (16 Oct, 2013) at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Target - 359

Virat Kohli - 100*

Australia's tour of India in 2013 was not one that any bowler who played in that series will want to remember. There was nothing in the pitches to help any bowler and all the matches proved to be run fests.

In the 2nd ODI on that tour, Australia batting first made the most of a good batting wicket, to post a total of 359 runs for India to chase. While there were 100s scored in Australia's innings Bailey and Maxwell were particularly ruthless to the Indian attack, who scored 92 (S/R 184) and 53 (S/R 165.52) respectively.

With the fiery Mitchell Johnson in their ranks, Australia would have felt that they had enough runs to win. However the Indian batsmen, especially Kohli had other plans. Indian openers Dhawan and Rohit gave India a very solid foundation of 176 runs in 26.1 overs.

However, India were still scoring well below the asking rate, which when Kohli walked out to bat, was over 7.5 runs per over.

Not one to be bowed down by a challenge, Kohli went about bringing the asking rate down, and in the process unleashed an array of stroke play that would rarely have been seen before in cricket. Kohli finished unbeaten on 100 with 8x4s and 7x6s. Kohli 100 came off just 52 balls at S/R of 192.3, and India chased down the target of 359 in just 43.3 Overs !!

When Kohli walked out to bat, India had required to score 184 runs to win from 23.5 overs at a Strike Rate of 7.8. Kohli helped India score those runs in just 17.2 overs and during the 17.2 overs that Kohli was at the crease, India's run rate was 10.69!

#5 vs Sri Lanka (28 Feb, 2012) at Bellerive Oval, Hobart

Target - 320 (in 40 overs)

Kohli - 133*

In the Triangular Series in Australia, featuring Australia, India and Sri Lanka, India went into their last game vs Sri Lanka, facing elimination. India not only had to win, but they had to chase down whatever Sri Lanka scored in just 40 overs to win.

Unfortunately for India, batting first Sri Lanka scored a target of 320, which would have taken some chasing in the full 50 overs. To chase down this target in just 40 overs was a near impossible task.

Sachin and Sehwag gave India a brisk start scoring at strike rates of 130 and 187 respectively, however when Sachin Tendulkar fell with the score at 86/2 in the 10th over, many would have given up on India's chances.

However Virat Kohli then strode out in the middle with India needing 235 off 30.4 overs to win and stay alive in the series. The Sri Lankan bowling line up had the best limited overs bowler at the time in Lasith Malinga who was a champion at choking an run chase with his precision toe crucshing yorkers.

Kohli didn't care for repurations though and he set about destroying Malinga's quickly. Malinga's yorkers that had held such fear for batsmen upto now, started to disappear to the boundary. In the face of Kohli's onslaught Malinga finished with an economy of 12.52.

In all his years in International cricket Malinga had never been smashed around has badly as he was by Kohli that day. Kohli scored an unbeaten 133 at a strike rate of 154.65 and the target of 320 which had seemed impossible to achieve in 40 overs just a few hours ago, was achieved in just 36.4!!