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The OG Run-Machine! 5 Best Knocks By Virat Kohli In Asia Cup

Arnav Chopra

Virat Kohli (Source: @BigDog_Reigns, @ImTanujSingh, @RCBTweets/X.com)Virat Kohli (Source: @BigDog_Reigns, @ImTanujSingh, @RCBTweets/X.com)

Indian legend Virat Kohli has played many significant knocks in the past while donning the blue jersey. The right-handed batting maestro has accumulated several milestones along the way over his 15-year-long international career.

However, when it comes to the Asia Cup, Kohli turns into a beast, with plenty of runs flowing through his bat in the past editions he has featured in. Although he won't be featuring in the upcoming tour due to his T20I retirement, Kohli has still dominated the Asia Cup with the bat against the neighbours.

Therefore, in this article, we will have a look at Virat Kohli's best knocks in Asia Cup history, T20I and ODI combined.

5. 108 (120) vs Sri Lanka, Mirpur, 2012 (ODI)

During the Asia Cup 2012, in the second match in Mirpur, India batted first and scored 304 at the end of the 50 overs, where opener Gautam Gambhir scored a century. While young Virat Kohli stunned everyone with a 108-run knock off 120 deliveries, with seven boundaries to his name, as India won comfortably in the end by a margin of exactly 50 runs, bowling Sri Lanka out for 254.

Kohli was eventually awarded player of the match as his 108 proved crucial in this encounter. Young Kohli, with fire in his eyes, came all guns blazing and displayed why he would become one of the best in the world.

4. 122* (94) vs Pakistan, Colombo, 2023 (ODI)

In the 2023 Asia Cup against Pakistan in Colombo, Virat Kohli turned his innings into a masterclass. It was the ninth match in the super four stage of the Asia Cup 2023, where India scored a mammoth 356 after the culmination of the 50 overs. Kohli displayed his class with an122* runs coming off his bat in just 94 deliveries, with nine boundaries and three maximums, as he remained unbeaten in the end alongside KL Rahul, who scored 111 not out off 106 balls.

India then bowled out Pakistan for just 128, winning the game by an unbelievable margin of 228 runs. Again, Kohli was awarded player of the match as his innings proved why he was still the best in the world after a decade-long dominance.

3. 122* (61) vs Afghanistan, Dubai, 2022 (T20I)

In the year 2022, Virat Kohli was going through a lean patch of form as his runs dried up, leading up to this Asia Cup. In the 11th match of the Super Four stage in Dubai against Afghanistan, Kohli turned around his fortune with a blistering, unbeaten 122-run knock in just 61 deliveries in a T20 match, at a strike rate of 200 with 12 boundaries and six maximums, as India raised to 212, for the loss of just two wickets.

In the end, Afghanistan could only manage 111, as India won by a mammoth margin of 101 runs. This was Kohli's 1st and only T20I century, which was a masterclass with the bat against Afghanistan.

2. 136 (122) vs Bangladesh, Fatullah, 2014 (ODI)

Finally, the second-best knock by Kohli occurred against Bangladesh back in 2014, where he scored 136 while chasing the score of 280 in the 2014 edition of the One-Day Asia Cup. Bangladesh scored 279 for 7 after the end of 50 overs, and India chased the score down with just one over remaining and 6 wickets to spare. Kohli's 136 came off 122 balls, with 16 boundaries and two maximums at a strike rate of 111.47, securing India a crucial victory in the second game of the tournament.

1. 183 (148) vs Pakistan, Mirpur, 2012 (ODI)

Now moving to Kohli's best-ever knock, not just in the Asia Cup, but overall in his limited-over career, that came against Pakistan in a tense match in Mirpur back in 2012. It was the fifth match of the Asia Cup in 2012, and was a do-or-die game for India, who were desperate for victory in Dhaka.

Pakistan scored a gigantic score of 329 after 50 overs, and India were tasked with a daunting target of 330. Leading from the front, Kohli's innings turned into a masterclass as he scored 183, thumping Pakistan left, right, and centre, facing 148 deliveries, hitting 22 boundaries and a maximum at a strike rate of 123.64. It was enough to haunt the Pakistan side for the rest of the decade, as India won the game with 6 wickets and 13 deliveries to spare, earning a crucial victory in this nerve-racking encounter.

To this date, Kohli's 183 is written in folklore as one of the finest ever ODI knocks. This game against the arch-nemesis is in the history books and will remain there until the end of time, thanks to the run-machine Kohli.