Is it over for Virat Kohli in T20Is!?

Post the Sachin Tendulkar era, Virat Kohli has been the most prolific run-scorer for the Indian team across formats. But for the past two years, the man has been going through a rut. 

Kohli’s last international century came in 2019 and since then the whole world is awaiting the 71st from him. But much to the disappointment of the fans, nothing seems to be going right for the former Indian skipper.

Although he was doing decently in the shortest format till last year, 2022 has been an off-year for him in this regard. He managed to score only 12 runs in two matches against England in the recently concluded series. This gives us an idea of his abysmal batting form.

Standing at this juncture we try and find out if India can really afford to drop the talismanic right-hander. 

The reasons why there are so many voices against Kohli are mainly his current form, the form of his competitors, and his failure to score at a brisk rate in the middle overs. 

So, let us compare Kohli’s performance to those of his competitors in recent times.

Kohli’s main competitors in T20I at the moment are Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Sanju Samson, and Shreyas Iyer.

Last 10 T20I Innings records:

Deepak Hooda has not played enough at the level to give any conclusive statement. Among the others, it is quite evident that Virat has not been at the top of his game.

IPL 2022 Records:

Clearly the latest season was the worst for Virat Kohli in his entire IPL career. Also, his competitors were evidently way ahead of him. 

Kohli’s records against spin in the last two years-

Runs- 170 Balls-160 Dismissals-5  SR- 106.20 BPB- 16 Dot%- 23.1

These numbers suggest that although Kohli has rotated the strike regularly, he has failed to hit boundaries frequently against the spinners. 

So, just like the talks doing the rounds, you also must be feeling that it is over for Kohli. But we feel that the legendary Indian batter deserves to be backed by the management for the upcoming T20 World Cup due to following reasons.

As we are debating about his place in the World Cup squad, we need to keep an eye on his records in the earlier installments of the tournament. 

Virat Kohli in T20 World Cups

Runs: 845  SR: 129.60 Average: 76.82 50s: 10

These stats speak volumes for his incredible consistency in the tournament. Further, he has been a one-man-army for the Indian batting unit in the knockouts. Even in India’s opening encounter against Pakistan last year, he was the lone warrior for the Men in Blue.  

As the T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place in Australia, let’s have a look at Kohli’s records down under in the shortest format.

Virat Kohli in Australia in T20Is

The numbers are outstanding, to say the least. These stats are also the best for an Indian batter on Australian soil in the format. 

Even during India’s last tour to Australia (2020), Kohli was the team’s highest run-scorer. His stats read:

Runs- 134 Balls - 94 Avg- 44.7 SR-142.6 4s-7 6s- 5 Dot%-17.0

Moving ahead, we look to counter the criticism regarding his game in the middle overs. First, let us take a look at how Kohli has done in the most critical phase of a T20 match in Australia.

Kohli in Middle Overs in Australia

From the aforementioned stats, it is evident that Kohli has been phenomenal in the middle overs in Australia. 

As we are talking about the decline in his game against spin, let’s analyze how potent spinners have been at the venues where India’s matches are scheduled in the World Cup. 

Spinners Downunder (in WC venues in recent years)

Overs: 125 Runs: 947 Wickets: 36 RPO: 7.57 BPW: 20.83 RPW: 26.30

As far as Kohli is concerned, he has a magnificent dot percentage 0f 9.8 against spinners in Australia. This indicates that he has kept the scoreboard ticking. Thus there is not much to be concerned about Kohli against spin as per the records.

If Kohli is playing for India, he will be batting at number three. Now let us compare the numbers of Kohli in his last 10 T20I innings with those of his contemporaries from across the world. 

The numbers indicate that even though Kohli is going through a torrid phase by his standards, he is not far behind his contemporaries. 

Well, enough statistical analysis backing Kohli’s place on the flight to Australia. If we have still failed to convince you about how important he is to India’s WC campaign, then let’s rise above numbers. 

The man’s meager presence in the dressing room is a positive boost for the team. Besides, when India will be playing down under, they will be facing a hostile crowd. It is only his never say die attitude and aggression that can motivate the Men in Blue, simultaneously pressurizing the opponents.

With his ample experience, he can be an asset to the leadership group during the mega event. Also, the way Kohli backs the players might inspire the team to raise their game to a whole new level under pressure. 

So, in an important tournament like the T20 World Cup, Kohli should be the first name on the team sheet after the skipper. It is not emotion, it’s the numbers speaking and hence the ‘King’ deserves a shot at redemption.

Co-Authored by: Debasish Sarangi