After a disappointing tournament with only 75 runs in seven matches, Virat Kohli silenced his doubters with a match-defining 76 off 59 balls in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa on Saturday.
India's batting started shaky, losing three quick wickets for just 34 runs. But Kohli, initially cautious, partnered brilliantly with Axar Patel (47 off 31) to stabilise the innings.
While Axar provided early aggression with boundaries, Kohli played a measured innings. He showcased his elegance with three exquisite boundaries off Marco Jansen in the first over, but held back during the middle overs when wickets fell around him.
Virat Kohli continued his love affair with T20 World Cup finals, reaching his second fifty in as many appearances.
He brought up the milestone in 48 balls during the 17th over. But Kohli wasn't done there. Sensing the urgency after a cautious start, he immediately switched gears.
A towering six and a scorching four off Kagiso Rabada announced his intentions. Kohli's aggression continued before he was dismissed for a well-made 76 off 59 deliveries, the second-highest score for India in a final.
Kohli equalled Marlon Samuels and Kumar Sangakkara as the only three batters to record multiple fifties in men’s T20 World Cup finals. In the 2014 final against Sri Lanka, his 77 runs (58 balls) were overshadowed by Sri Lanka's victory.
Kohli's knock in 2024 T20 World Cup came despite a challenging tournament. He started this tournament with a worrying run of low scores. Three single-digit figures, including a duck against the United States, raised concerns. The Super 8s stage offered little improvement, with only 61 runs across three innings and another duck against Australia. By the final, Kohli had only managed a meagre 75 runs in seven innings, the lowest aggregate for any Indian batsman facing at least 75 balls in a single T20 World Cup.
It's important to remember that Kohli still holds the record for the most runs in T20 World Cup history (1266 runs in 34 innings with 15 half-centuries).
