Virat Kohli single-handedly eliminated Australia from the T20 World Cup 2016 with an undefeated 82-run knock off only 51 balls. Kohli’s last 33 runs came in only 13 balls, indicating that he was the dominant force in the partnership between him and former captain MS Dhoni.
Virat Kohli scored 82 runs off 51 balls to eliminate Australia from the 2016 T20 World Cup.
KEY POINTS TO NOTE
At the T20 World Cup 2016, Virat Kohli thrilled the Mohali crowd with a superb knock against Australia.
Kohli produced an undefeated 82-run knock off just 51 balls.
Kohli, the former India captain, will play his 100th Test at the same stadium.
Virat Kohli, one of the modern-day greats, will play his 100th Test match in Mohali on Friday, March 4 at Sri Lanka’s IS Bindra Stadium. When Kohli takes the field, he will become the 12th Indian and 71st player in history to accomplish the feat.
Kohli returns to the location for the historic match, in which he produced one of his finest T20 innings at the top level of his career. In their T20 World Cup 2016 match at the PCA Stadium, Kohli delighted the Mohali fans with some of the finest shot-making in acceleration for the ages.
Team India had just won a dramatic one-run match against Bangladesh, but their place in the semi-finals would have been sealed only if they had defeated the 2010 T20 World Cup champions in their last Group stage match.
After winning the toss, the Australians elected to bat first. Before the middle-order fell, Aaron Finch’s 43-run knock gave Australia a solid start. However, Australia passed the 160-run barrier with to contributions from Glenn Maxwell and wicket-keeper batsman Peter Nevill.
India got off to a shaky start, losing both openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan inside the first two overs of the powerplay. Suresh Raina was bowled by Shane Watson a few of overs later, and the contest was steadily slipping away from the Men in Blue.
After that, Kohli and Yuvraj Singh gradually steered the team into calmer seas, but the run rate continued to grow, and they sorely needed someone to play a 15-ball 30-run innings to keep the momentum going.
Yuvraj and Kohli’s 45-run partnership terminated at the wrong moment, as the Men in Blue now need 68 runs off the final six overs.
In the meanwhile, Kohli reached his half-century off 39 deliveries, and India now needed both him and Dhoni to attack the bowling. Kohli, on the other hand, had a different plan.
That match seemed to be contested by two Kohlis. The batsman who batted in the first 15 overs and the one who batted in the end. Kohli struck the last 33 runs in 13 balls, with captain Dhoni delivering a fast 10-ball 18 as India defeated Australia by 6 wickets with 5 balls to spare.
