Kohli’s IPL career is studded with several glittery knocks. He has helped the Royal Challengers Bangalore side get over the line on multiple occasions. From all those masterclass innings, we have brought to you the five most impressive ones, which are the best performances of Virat Kohli in the IPL.
With 44 half-centuries and 5 hundreds in the Indian Premier League, VK is the top run-getter of the cash-rich league. Out of these 5 tons, 4 came in a single season of the IPL 2016. But Virat’s brilliance has been on display in every edition.
Without any further ado, let’s take a look at his 5 greatest IPL knocks.
5. 99 of 58 Against Delhi Daredevils (2013)
Virat got his maiden IPL hundred in 2016, but he was in touching distance to the landmark in the IPL 2013. Against the Daredevils, he played one of his all-time great IPL knocks. Batting first, RCB posted 183 runs in 20 overs due to a whirlwind knock of 99(58) from their skipper. His innings included ten boundaries and four towering sixes.
Kohli missed his maiden IPL century after getting run out on the final delivery of the innings. But he won the hearts of the RCB fans with his extraordinary batting performance. Dehli Daredevils fell short by 4 runs as Bangalore secured a tight win on the back of a Virat Kohli special.
4. 109 of 55 Against Gujrat Lions (2016)
The 2016 IPL was a dream season for Virat Kohli as he accumulated record-breaking 973 runs in the tournament. Bangalore were asked to bat first on their home ground. Gayle departed after a slow start, and it brought AB de Villiers to the crease.
He wasted no time in taking the attacking route. On the other hand, Kohli was smartly playing second fiddle to him. ABD brought up his illustrious half-century in just 25 balls. In contrast, it took VK 39 deliveries to get there. After reaching the 50-run mark, Virat faced just one delivery till de Villiers brought up his 43-ball hundred.
With three overs remaining, Kohli started to shift gears and scored 13 out of 30 runs that came in the 18th over. The second last over of the innings saw the youngster Shivil Kaushik get smashed for four sixes and a four by Virat. Out of nowhere, Kohli was nearing a hundred. On the third delivery of the final over, Kohli hit a six of Praveen Kumar to bring up his third IPL ton.
He smashed another six on the next ball before getting dismissed on the fifth ball of the over. The match is remembered for a gigantic 229-run partnership between VK and ABD. But Virat’s dynamic knock in this game was also an extraordinary effort.
3. 108*of 58 Against Rising Pune Supergiants (2016)
Kohli is called the King of chasing, and this knock shows exactly why it is so. Pune batted first at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and asked RCB to chase down 192 runs in their 20 overs. Chris Gayle wasn’t a part of the playing XI, so Virat Kohli and KL Rahul opened the innings.
The two added 94 runs in 11 overs to set a solid foundation for the chase. But, the quick dismissals of Rahul and de Villiers meant that the Supergiants were back in the business. With the required run rate going past 12, the pressure was mounting on Virat. Watson’s blazing cameo of 36 off just 13 balls eased the pressure, but Kohli had the responsibility to finish the game.
When Watson walked back to the dugout, RCB still required 49 off the last 28 deliveries. VK was playing the anchor role till that point, but the match seemed to be slipping out of Bangalore’s hands as they were left with 40 to get off the final 3 overs.
Kohli took all the responsibility on his shoders and plundered Adam Zampa for 17 runs to bring his team back into the contest. Then, he took RP Singh for 18 runs in the penultimate over to tilt the game completely in RCB’s favor. VK played the winning shot in the final over to complete a truly amazing victory aided by one of the best performances of Virat Kohli in the IPL.
2. 93* of 47 Against Sunrisers Hyderabad (2013)
Virat made his debut as IPL captain in the 2013 edition after taking over this role from Daniel Vettori. RCB’s previous game resulted in a defeat in the super over for them. Now, they were under pressure as Sunrisers Hyderabad batted first. They managed to post a total of 161 in 20 overs on an apparently slow wicket.
Bangalore were 39 for 1 in 5.1 overs as King Kohli made his way to the crease. They soon lost their second wicket and were desperately in need of a partnership. VK and ABD provided that with a 49-run stand in just 35 balls. Kohli kept marching on and got to his half-century in just 31 balls.
After reaching this milestone, Kohli’s beast mode was unveiled. The chase master thrashed Amit Mishra for 21 and then Thisara Perera for 16 runs in the 16th and 17th overs, respectively. These two overs completely changed the complexion of the game.
Virat smashed two more boundaries in the next over to kill the chase. RCB secured an easy win, and their skipper was the main man behind the victory.
1. 113 of 50 Against Kings XI Punjab (2016)
Prior to this game, Kohli suffered a palm injury in a match against KKR. With 9 stitches on his hand, VK came out to bat against all the odds. Not only he batted, but his 51-ball 75* saw RCB chase down a hefty target of 184.
Their next assessment was against the Punjab side, which was a must-win game for the Challengers. Kohli was in doubt for the match due to his injury in the previous game, but the lion-hearted batter had no doubts about taking the challenge. With the rain delaying the game by 2 hours, the match was reduced to 15 overs per side.
RCB were invited to bat first as Gayle and Kohli walked out in the middle. The former was at his hitting best, while the latter played the situation exceptionally well. Both the openers scored 147 runs in just 11 overs. In the meantime, Kohli also brought up his 28-ball half-century.
After the departure of Gayle, Kohli decided to put his foot down on the accelerator. He brought up his hundred two overs later and followed it with a four and a six. He finally departed after scoring 113, and RCB clinched a massive 84-run triumph.
Apart from his batting class, this innings is remembered for Kohli’s extraordinary character and commitment to the game of cricket. That’s why it stands on top of the list of best performances of Virat Kohli in the IPL.
