Virat Kohli became the first-ever player to cross the 3,000-run mark in T20 Internationals, and his record continued to grow since then.
By the time of your mention, Kohli had scored 3,159 runs in 90 matches. This impressive tally underscores his consistency and dominance in the shortest format of cricket.
He maintained an average of around 50, which is exceptional in T20I cricket. His style of batting—ranging from power-hitting to calculating chases—has made him one of the most reliable T20 players.
Strike rate: Around 138
Centuries: Kohli has also scored 1 T20I century (against Afghanistan in the 2022 Asia Cup).
Half-centuries: He has multiple half-centuries to his name, often scoring under pressure in critical situations.
One of the quirky, yet memorable, moments in Virat Kohli’s T20I career occurred during the 2011 ICC World Twenty20 match between India and England.
Kohli, as a part-time bowler, bowled his first-ever delivery in T20Is to Kevin Pietersen, the dangerous England batsman, who was dismissed with a wide delivery!
This delivery, which was ruled as a wide, still resulted in a wicket when MS Dhoni stumped Kevin Pietersen off it. This remains one of the rarest instances where a player gets a wicket off a “wide” ball, making it a unique moment in T20I cricket history.
It was an interesting scenario that added an odd but exciting twist to the match, and it stands out as a memorable episode in Kohli’s career, even though he is primarily known for his batting exploits rather than bowling.
Kohli’s bowling in T20Is was never his primary strength, but the fact that he took a wicket off his very first ball in T20Is (even if it was a wide) made for a fun and notable piece of trivia in the cricketing world.
Virat Kohli’s bowling stats are relatively modest, but his aggressive approach, especially in the field and during crunch moments, adds another dimension to his all-round game.
Virat Kohli’s career is not just defined by his batting supremacy but also by a few quirky moments, like this wicket off a wide ball! His record-breaking career in T20 cricket has set a high benchmark for future generations of players.
