King Kohli In Finals: Ranking His Best Knocks From T20 World Cup To ODI Glory

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Virat Kohli With T20 World Cup 2024 and the IPL 2025 Trophy [Source: @MadridistaHJB7/x.com, AP Photos)Virat Kohli With T20 World Cup 2024 and the IPL 2025 Trophy [Source: @MadridistaHJB7/x.com, AP Photos)

Virat Kohli is considered one of the greatest players to have ever graced the game of cricket. Time and again, Kohli has delivered under pressure and has gradually earned the title of the 'King' from his fans. The Indian maestro has made it a habit for himself to score in the most pressure situations and clutch games. 

The finals of any tournament could be considered the most clutch, and intense and the matches with the highest pressure index. In his decorated career, Kohli has been a part of a few finals. In this article, we will rank the best final knocks by one of India's greatest-ever batters. 

5. 54 (63) vs Australia, ODI World Cup 2023 Final At Narendra Modi Stadium In Ahmedabad

This could have ended as one of the finest knocks and earned a much higher rank. However, it turned out to be one of those rare instances when Virat Kohli failed to convert his start and departed when the team needed him the most. 

Virat Kohli in ODI World Cup 2023 [Source: @BluntIndianGal/x.com]Virat Kohli in ODI World Cup 2023 [Source: @BluntIndianGal/x.com]

After a great start by Rohit Sharma, Kohli held the innings together for India and was propelling them towards a respectable total. However, after a rather unlucky dismissal to Pat Cummins, India missed an anchor in their progression and hence fell well short of a competitive total. 

The result was a heartbreaking defeat for team India that denied them a World Cup title which they probably deserved the most. 

4. 43 (35) vs PBKS, IPL 2025 Final At Narendra Modi Stadium In Ahmedabad

The emotional quotient of this innings might be one of the highest at least for the fans of Kohli. However, when it comes to the quality of the knock and the situational context, it cannot get a rank higher than this in the list.

During the IPL 2025 Final against the Punjab Kings, it looked like Kohli was struggling to judge the pace of the pitch. In the end, it turned out to be a slow, scratchy and very un-Kohli-like knock, where even strike rotation was not a big part of his game when he was struggling to get the boundaries.

However, Royal Challengers Bengaluru prevailed in the game and managed to win their maiden IPL title in 18 years.

3. 43 (34) vs England, Champions Trophy 2013 Final At Birmingham

Virat Kohli with the 2013 Champions Trophy [Source: @ViratGang/x.com]Virat Kohli with the 2013 Champions Trophy [Source: @ViratGang/x.com]

This was a scratchy knock too, but given the contemporary cricketing age and the nature of the pitch, it was a very useful knock for India. Virat Kohli scored 43 runs off 34 deliveries on an English wicket that was slow and turning making life difficult for the batters. 

In a rain-interrupted affair, Kohli's knock ensured that India got to a fighting total at the end of their 20 overs. The Indian bowlers and some smart captaincy from MS Dhoni-led did not let the innings go in vain as India claimed their first-ever single Champions Trophy title.

2. 35 (49) vs Sri Lanka, ODI World Cup 2011 Final At Wankhede In Mumbai

This is probably one of the least talked about knocks by Virat Kohli. India were standing on the brink of history and were facing the steep challenge of chasing down 275 runs against Sri Lanka.

Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were already back in the hut when Virat Kohli arrived at the crease. But a young Kohli absorbed pressure and showed the world that he was more than ready for the big stage and built a platform for the chase to foster. It was the platform built by Kohli and Gambhir's partnership that later allowed MS Dhoni to play a historic knock and take India to a World Cup title after 28 years. 

1. 76(59) vs South Africa, T20 World Cup 2024 Final At Kensington Oval In Bridgetown

This has to be the best innings that Kohli has played to date in the final of a tournament. After the early loss of Rohit Sharma, Kohli first stabilised the proceedings and then took the attack to the opposition propelling the Indian total to a fighting one. 

The innings was a trademark of Kohli's playbook, where you take the opposition down gradually. It was his knock that helped India to a total where they were able to challenge a powerful South African batting line-up. Jasprit Bumrah decided to show his brilliance in the most clutch situation of the game and put the cherry on top of the cake baked by Kohli leading India to end their 11-year ICC Trophy drought.