The best of Virat Kohli - top 5 innings in ODI cricket so far

He has been branded as the angry young man of a youthful Team India. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, often arguing with match officials over ‘questionable’ decisions. Despite all this, he is remarkably mature for a cricketer of his age.

Virat Kohli has seen both the highs and lows of being an international sportsman. Having lost his father when he just turned 18, the youngster proceeded to play a crucial innings for Delhi against Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy. Sometimes it is this sort of adversity that makes you grow as a person, and it shows in your game.

It has definitely toughened up Kohli. He is now a vital cog in India’s scheme of things. Having made his ODI and international debut against Sri Lanka on 18th August 2008 in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Virat Kohli completed five years in international cricket yesterday.

He has played some amazing knocks in this duration. Here are five of his best ODI innings till date:

5. 35 vs Sri Lanka (World Cup Final, Mumbai, April 2, 2011)

Virat Kohli’s 35, though not a huge score, dealt a soothing touch to India’s chase in the World Cup final

In the summit clash between two former World Cup winners, Sri Lanka plundered 91 runs in their last 10 overs to reach 274/6 after captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss. In reply, India lost both the openers, Sehwag and Sachin early, courtesy a brilliant opening spell by Lasith Malinga.

At 31/2, it looked like Sri Lanka were truly on top and on course to secure their second World Cup title after 1996. However, the Delhi duo of Kohli and Gautam Gambhir didn’t let Sri Lanka drive the early advantage home.

The two milked the bowling, collecting the ones and twos, with Kohli occasionally showing hints of aggressive batting. He struck four boundaries in his 49-ball knock, adding 83 runs with his partner before being dismissed by Dilshan.

In the context of the game, his 35-run knock was the springboard from which Dhoni launched his assault as India reached the target and claimed the title after 28 years. In an 83-run partnership at crisp pace, India had found stability again after the shock of two quick wickets in a World Cup final.

Virat had earlier scored a hundred on his senior World Cup debut against Bangladesh, and played some vital knocks in the tournament. But none of them was as crucial as this one – coming at a time when Malinga was breathing fire and Murali was waiting to ensnare the Indians in his web. Steady does it!

Here’re the highlights of the Indian innings:

4. 118 vs Australia (2nd ODI, Visakhapatnam, October 20, 2010)

Kohli’s hundred helped India chase 290 against Australia

Chasing a formidable total under lights is never easy. After MS Dhoni won the toss and sent the Australians in to bat, Nehra’s double strike put them on the back-foot. However, the Aussies recovered well to post 289, thanks to a magnificent century from skipper Michael Clarke, a steady half-century from Mike Hussey and a blazing cameo from Cameron White.

India started the chase on a shaky note, with debutant opener Shikhar Dhawan castled by Clint McKay for a duck. Murali Vijay followed soon after hitting three boundaries in his brief knock.

Watching his side reeling at 35/2 in the ninth over and the required run-rate mounting rapidly, Virat launched a counter-offensive against the Aussie bowlers – peppering both sides of the wicket with his stylish stroke-play.

He added 137 runs for the third wicket with Yuvraj Singh before the latter was dismissed in the 34th over. Battling cramps and with India still 118 runs short, Kohli accelerated hard in the company of the adventurous Suresh Raina.

He brought up his century with a crisp square-drive, then swung McKay for two fours and a massive six over long-on. The cramps got the better of the limping youngster as he fell with India 34 runs behind, but ended up on the winning side nonetheless.

His innings was marked by his calm approach and good cricketing sense. Brilliant knock!

3. 107 vs Sri Lanka (4th ODI, Kolkata, December 2009)

Virat Kohli’s maiden century helped India chase 316 in the cauldron of Eden Gardens

Now this is an innings that the Delhi youngster will remember for the rest of his life. It came when India were once again chasing a huge target against Sri Lanka.

Bolstered by wayward bowling from Ishant Sharma during their innings, southpaws Upul Tharanga and skipper Kumar Sangakkara plundered runs at will, with the former scoring 118. Jayawardene and Thisara Perera played brilliant cameos towards the end to steer their side to an imposing 315 /6.

Yet again, Sehwag and Sachin fell without troubling the opposition bowlers too much, with Suranga Lakmal accounting for both batsmen.

At 23/2, the Delhi duo of Kohli and Gambhir joined hands for what turned out to be a walk-in-the-park chase for the home side. Kohli, in particular, unleashed his trademark flicks to the leg side, punctuated by back-foot punches and sublime drives.

Throughout his innings, there was always that element of risk attributed to his constant shuffling across the stumps; however, he managed to bring his bat down on time on each instance.

Only once did he offer a chance – on 88 – but for the most part, he kept rotating the strike; this hampered both the pacers and the spinners, and the glistening dew on the field did not help them either.

Kohli reached his maiden century with a single, and with four fielders inside the circle. He perished later, trying to end the game quickly, having already hit a six before. India cruised to the target without losing further wickets.

2. 183 vs Pakistan (5th Match, Asia Cup, Mirpur, March 2012)

Virat Kohli once again excelled in a chase, registering his highest ODI score

The Royal Challengers captain single-handedly demolished arch-rivals Pakistan with a commanding century, re-affirming India’s status as masters of chase in the subcontinent.

Pakistan had amassed a score of 329 on the back of centuries from openers Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed.

In the chase, Virat Kohli sent almost all the bowlers on a leather hunt as he pulled, cut, drove and flicked with utmost authority. With the peerless Sachin Tendulkar watching from the other end, Kohli went completely berserk against the Men in Green.

Both batsmen negated the threat posed by Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul, and smashed the other bowlers without a sweat as they rocketed away to a 133-run stand following Gautam Gambhir’s cheap dismissal.

Left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz bore the brunt of Kohli’s initial assault – the batsman flicked him for boundaries repeatedly on the leg side.

Riaz’s four overs cost him 50 runs, forcing his skipper to pull him out of the attack. Mohammad Hafeez, who scored 105 in Pakistan’s innings, was carted for 42 in his nine overs.

Such was the dominance Kohli exerted that the dismissals of Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma were mere flashes in the pan. He finally fell to a vicious short delivery from Gul, but by then the damage had been done to the bowling side, and India romped home without a fuss.

1. 133* vs Sri Lanka (CB Series, Hobart, February 28, 2012)

Virat Kohli’s best innings in ODIs so far blasted away Sri Lanka’s total of 320 in 36.4 overs

For sheer class and audacity, this knock of Kohli will stand out in the annals of cricketing history for eternity. As the late Tony Greig rightly commented, “He will cherish this knock – something he can tell his grandchildren“.

Already demoralized after a forgettable outing against Australia in the Test series, India suffered further humiliation after Sri Lanka piled on yet another 300-plus score, with Dilshan belting an unbeaten 160 and Sangakkara scoring 105. To stay alive in the series, the world champions needed to make 321 in 40 overs – a tall order, given their recent woes with the bat.

But Kohli had other ideas. After Sehwag and Sachin gave the team an explosive start, the chase stumbled a bit when Malinga dismissed the latter in the 10th over. With the score at 86/2 and the required run rate remaining steep, the stage was set for the young Delhi lad.

And he set it on fire – dispatching the ball to the fence with the precision of a surgeon, running like a gazelle between the wickets and picking his spots well. With Gambhir, he quickly raised 115 for the third wicket, reaching his own fifty in 44 balls.

Then he shifted into fifth gear – smashing Lasith Malinga for 24 runs in one over, the highlight of which was a trademark flick over deep square leg for a massive six. Fittingly, Kohli ended the match in style with a smashing cover drive, having smashed his last 83 runs in just 42 balls.

His rampage caused India to achieve the target in only 36.4 overs, keeping their hopes of a final spot alive.

For me and legions of Kohli fans, this was his best ODI innings ever. Simply scintillating stuff!