India vs Australia 2019: Top 3 T20I knocks by Virat Kohli vs Australia

Virat Kohli is one of those rare batsmen who has an excellent record in all three formats of the game. Only a few months back, his average was in excess of 50 across all formats. However, there has been a slight dip in the T20I average (49.25) but he still remains one of the best and consistent batsmen around.

It is no secret that Kohli loves batting against Australia. In T20I, he has amassed 488 runs at an average of 61.00 against them, which includes five half-centuries. Kohli is on the verge of becoming the first ever batsman to score 500 T20I runs against them.

Hence, with Australia coming down to India for limited-overs series which includes a couple of T20Is, it’s a good time to look back at some of Kohli’s exploits against the Aussies.

Here are the top three T20I knocks of Virat Kohli against Australia.

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#3 61* - Sydney (2018)

Kohli at SCG

2018 was a fabulous year for Virat Kohli. The Indian skipper topped the batting charts in both Test Cricket and the 50 over format. However, he didn’t have a great year in T20 cricket. Apart from a couple of 40s against England, he never really got going in the shortest format.

India’s full-fledged tour to Australia started with a three-match T20I series. The men in blue lost the first game before the second one was washed out. With the series on the line, India was chasing 165 in the decider at the SCG. They got off to a flying start in their reply as the openers put on 67 in the powerplay.

However, a couple of quick wickets pegged them back. Kohli walked out to bat at No. 3 in a T20 for the first time in 2018 and took control of the game. After losing both openers, the Indian captain took his time to settle down and scored just 6 runs off his first 10 deliveries. But he slowly started opening up, finding the gaps and rotating the strike freely.

In the last five overs, India needed 52 runs and Kohli was batting on 27 off 23 balls. That’s when he took the attack to the Australian bowlers. He struck Andrew Tye for a four and a six before launching Glenn Maxwell for another maximum in the following over to bring the asking rate down. He brought up his fifty in the 18th over. Following that, he finished off the game in the final over with a couple of boundaries and in the process, helped India to level the series 1-1. Kohli finished the chase with an unbeaten 61 from 41 deliveries.

#2 90* - Adelaide (2016)

Virat Kohli at Adelaide Oval

2016 was an insane year for Virat Kohli as far in T20 cricket. He redefined the art of batting in the shortest format that year. Be it International cricket or the IPL, Kohli simply churned out runs for fun. However, It was this knock against Australia in Adelaide that started it all.

Kohli loves batting at the Adelaide Oval and has some terrific numbers in every format at the venue. After a superb ODI series, Kohli turned into a T20 beast. He ended up scoring 199 runs in the three-match series. In the first T20I at Adelaide, Australia won the toss and opted to bowl first. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan put on 40 for the opening wicket before they both lost their wicket in the same over.

Right from the start, Kohli blasted the Aussie bowlers all around the park. He got going with an excellent square drive off a 151 kmph delivery from Shaun Tait. That shot showed he was in fine form. Throughout the innings, he found gaps and ran a lot between the wickets. He also found the boundary at regular intervals. He played around with the field as he struck an unbeaten knock of 90 runs from 55 balls. His effort helped India post 188 in their 20 overs.

A collective effort from the bowlers helped India win the game and take a 1-0 lead in the series. However, It was Virat Kohli’s 90 that set up the game and he got the player of the match award as a reward.

#1 82* - Mohali (2016)

Virat Kohli at the World T20

Not only against Australia, but this is one of Virat Kohli’s best knocks in his T20I career. Kohli was is brilliant from in the 2016 World T20. After winning the man of the tournament in the 2014 edition, he won the award again 2016. It is fair to say that, he almost single-handedly carried India’s batting line-up in that tournament. His effort against Australia was one of the tournament's finest knocks

The match against Australia in Mohali was a virtual knockout again and a loss would have ended India’s campaign. Batting first after winning the toss, Australia posted 160 in their 20 overs. It was a stiff score with the pitch expected to slow down later in the game. India lost three early wickets and as usual, the onus was on Kohli.

Yuvraj Singh’s injury made matters worse for the Men in Blue as Kohli’s momentum and flow were hampered. He was not able to run hard between the wickets, which is something he thrives on. Hence, he had to take a few risks and luckily they paid off. But when Yuvraj lost his wicket, India still needed 67 off the last 6 overs and Kohli was batting on 35 off 30 deliveries.

With MS Dhoni’s arrival, Kohli used all his energy in running between the wickets. India scored 28 runs in the next three overs and Kohli got to his fifty. He hardly celebrated the milestone as he knew the job was not done yet. With 39 required off the last three overs, Kohli was a man on a mission. He first took James Faulkner to the cleaners, he fetched 19 runs off the 18th over. In the next over, he hit four boundaries to bring the equation down to 4 off the last over. Dhoni finished the chase in the first ball off the last over.

Kohli was once again India’s savior as his unbeaten 82 took India over the line. Despite the odds, conditions, and the situation stacked against him, he found a way to ensure India reach the semi-final.