100 and counting: Revisiting Virat Kohli's five best T20I innings

When Virat Kohli took the field against Pakistan at the 2022 Asia Cup after over a month of absence, it was a joyous occasion as the star Indian batter completed his 100th T20I.

Having made his debut against Zimbabwe in 2010, Kohli has had an incredible career in the shortest format. In 99 matches prior to this game, he scored 3308 runs at an average of 50.12 while striking 137.66. In the 91 innings where he has batted, he has 30 fifties to his name – thus averaging a fifty every three games he bats.

He is now the first Indian ever to represent his country in 100 matches in each of the three formats and only the second player in the world behind New Zealand great Ross Taylor to achieve this feat.

As Kohli celebrates this incredible achievement, we take a look back at five of his best knocks in the shortest format.

49 (51) v Pakistan, Asia Cup (2016 )

Though this innings is the only one on this list that isn't a fifty, the impact of his knock in the Asia Cup game against Pakistan is invaluable and still continues to be rated as one of Virat Kohli's best innings in T20Is

India were chasing 84 for the win and on the face of it, it looked like MS Dhoni's men would cruise to a win. That was before Mohammad Amir burst through the top-order, removing the openers Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane for ducks in the first over and soon India found themselves at 8/3 after Suresh Raina too perished early.

Kohli lived dangerously early on, surviving an lbw shout and an edge that just flew over slips but most importantly for India, managed to survive the trying period. Kohli saw off the spell of Amir with two boundaries in his final over and batted patiently thereafter to almost see India home.

He fell a run short of a fifty but had done enough to curb India's early slide and put them on the brink of a win.

94* (50) v West Indies (2019)

The 94* against West Indies is still Kohli's highest score in T20I cricket but if one were to go back to the start of his innings in Hyderabad, it didn't seem like it would end up being so.

Chasing 208 for the win, Kohli was going at a run-a-ball 20 at the halfway stage when India needed another 119 runs to win. The start of the innings was quite uncharacteristic but the war of words with Kesrick Williams ticked off the Chase Master.

Kohli launched an onslaught in the second half of the innings, getting to his 50 in style with a maximum. He took a special liking to the bowling of Williams, who he smashed for three sixes and a four, including two in the penultimate over to see India home.

70* (29) v West Indies (2019)

Five days after Virat Kohli pulled off a stunning chase, West Indies were at the receiving end of yet another special innings from the bat of the Indian star. The circumstances were different – the openers had laid the platform with a 135-run stand in under 11 overs – but the game in Mumbai showed the world the absolute destructive side of King Kohli.

He made his intentions clear by smashing a six off Hayden Walsh off the fifth ball of his innings before clobbering Jason Holder for two boundaries and six in his next.

No bowler was spared on the day, including Kieron Pollard who was taken to the cleaners by Kohli in the 18th over with three sixes and a four. The fifty came off just 21 balls as Kohli's blitzkrieg propelled India to 240 in the first innings.

72* (44) v South Africa, T20 World Cup (2014)

Yet another crunch game, yet another chase pulled off by Virat Kohli.

If one had to pinpoint to the innings where Kohli got the tag of the Chase Master in the shortest format, it would be the knock in the T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa at Dhaka.

The knock was a masterclass on how to pace your innings in a chase. 17 off 16 when India needed 93 off the final 10, Kohli shifted gears quickly to ensure the pressure of chasing in the semi-final didn't get to the team.

Kohli got to his fifty with a maximum and continued to tonk the South Africa bowlers to all parts. With one needed to win, Dhoni dead batted Beuran Hendricks off the final ball of the penultimate over to let Kohli finish the innings and put India into the finals of the 2014 T20 World Cup.

82* (51) vs Australia, T20 World Cup (2016)

Virtual knockout, chasing for a spot in the semi-final at home, India in a spot of bother at 49/3 with an injured Yuvraj Singh at the other end– the stage was set for Virat Kohli to script yet another memorable chase for the Men in Blue.

Few T20I innings where a batter has scored as many runs as Kohli did on that day could be termed as flawless, but it was exactly that.

At the fall of Yuvraj's wicket, Kohli was still at 35 off 30 with India needing 67 in the final six overs. He needed only 31 balls to finish the match.

With MS Dhoni at the crease, Kohli found it much easier to run between the wickets. He got to his fifty in 40 balls but barely celebrated, knowing there was a bigger task on his hands.

The equation came down to 39 of 18. The first three balls of James Faulkner's over went 4,4,6 and ended up conceding 19 in total. Nathan Coulter-Nile was dished with a similar treatment where Kohli accumulated four boundaries in the over.

Dhoni finished the match in style with a four as Virat fell to his knees at the other end with a smile on his face, carrying India to the semi-finals of the 2016 T20 World Cup.