3 brilliant knocks by Virat Kohli in recent times that were better than a century

Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batters of this generation and, irrespective of how he performs in the future, there is no doubt that he is going to go down as one of the best in the history of cricket. For over a decade, he has shown great appetite and consistency in scoring big hundreds for fun, making him look like a superhero.

By his own extremely high standards, Kohli has had a rather mediocre last fifteen months, failing to score a single hundred in any format of the game in over 75 innings.

Such has been the level set by him that the fans and experts consider his fifties a failure too.

Despite his not being in form, Virat Kohli has played a few memorable knocks during this phase that were better than any hundred. His 72 at Chennai and 50 at Kennington Oval against England are the two knocks in Tests that deserve more appreciation than they get.

Let's take a look at three instances over the last 15 months where Virat Kohli may not have reached the three-figure mark, but played a knock fans will remember for years to come.

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#1. 57(49) against Pakistan, ICC T20 World Cup, 2021

Virat Kohli in action during the India-Pakistan match at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in 2021.

India-Pakistan World Cup encounters are always tense and high-voltage. In a high-stakes clash, Shaheen Afridi was breathing fire, sending the openers back to the pavilion in no time and reducing India to 6-2.

Skipper Virat Kohli rose to the occasion and ensured that he didn't go down without a fight. His valiant knock of 57 (49) included five fours and a six but eventually came to an end at the hands of Shaheen. His efforts were not enough for India as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan chased down the target of 152 easily, without losing a single wicket.

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2. 80* (52) against England, Fifth T20I, 2021

Skipper Virat Kohli led India to a memorable T20I series win against England.

England, one of the best sides in the T20 format, sent India in to bat first after captain Eoin Morgan won the toss.

Skipper Virat Kohli opened the innings with Rohit Sharma and looked like a man on a mission. He smashed the ball all around the park and scored a magnificent unbeaten 80 in just 52 deliveries at a strike rate of 153.85 that included seven fours and two big sixes.

Ahmedabad's crowd witnessed the vintage Kohli at the peak of his powers, helping Team India post a mammoth total of 224-2 which proved too much for England in the end. India won the game by 36 runs, and the series 3-2. Kohli was declared the 'Player of the Series' for scoring 231 runs in five innings at an average of 115.

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3. 77* (46) against England, Third T20I, 2021

Virat Kohli's failures have shown that he is also a human.

In a series that was one to remember for the fans, Kohli played another blinder in what was once again a one-man show for Team India.

In the third T20I of the bilateral series, England's captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and sent India in to bat first. England's quicks Mark Wood and Chris Jordan made early inroads, reducing India to 24-3 inside the batting powerplay.

Kohli then took charge and what followed was a barrage of exquisite shots. He scored an unbeaten 77 in just 46 balls at a strike rate of 167.4, including eight fours and four massive sixes. His heroics were not enough for Team India as England chased down the target of 158 with eight wickets to spare.

It's just a matter of time before the King of Cricket will roar again.