Five of the best: The jaw-dropping stats that prove Kohli's greatness

After another last-gasp effort to save his country, Virat Kohli once again solidified his credentials as one the game’s all-time greats, making 82* from 53 in a near-flawless performance against Pakistan on Sunday.

Brains and brawns: Walking through the soul-stirring final over in India's win over Pakistan

Both off his bat, and in the speed of the chase, Kohli’s timing left cricket fans bereft of words. No superlative in innings past quite justify the performance in front of 90,000 people at the MCG, and the man himself continues to move into uncharted territory, even for himself.

Instead, it’s Kohli’s numbers that shout from the rooftops.

In chases across the five T20 World Cup campaigns, Kohli has made 541 runs at a strike rate of 135.92. Dismissed only twice in his ten knocks, Kohli’s latest match-winning effort means his average has soared to a boggling 270.50. Outside of a 2* against Scotland coming in at the end of their winning chase in 2021, Kohli’s lowest score is 23 (27) in Nagpur back in 2016.

After the MCG miracle, we take a look back at the master of the chase in previous ICC Men's T20 World Cups.

78* (61) v Pakistan, Colombo (RPS), 2012

While chasing down a target of just 129 may not scream the word “clutch”, Kohli showed calm in the storm of another India/Pakistan meeting on a slow R.Premadasa Stadium surface.

As the batters on the other side trudged back trying too much to lift their run rate, Kohli strode out having watched team-mate Gautam Gambhir fall to a Raza Hasan caught and bowled two balls into the innings.

Kohli made just 16 from his first 19 deliveries, before making a statement with an effortless drive over Shahid Afridi for six in the first over outside the Powerplay.

He finished with eight fours and two sixes, cruising to victory with 18 balls remaining, and vitally keeping his team alive in the competition.

"The key is to stay as calm as possible. In the last game I thought a bit too much. The idea is to play 10-15 overs and the team benefits from it,” Kohli said after the match.

“(It was) a slow wicket but better under lights.”

The World Reacts to Kohli's Masterclass

72* (44) v South Africa, Mirpur, 2014

South Africa had never lost a T20I after posting a score in excess of 170 to this point, and after making 172 in the 2014 T20 World Cup semi-final, even the pessimistic Proteas fans may have thought they’d finally broken their well-documented curse at ICC events.

Kohli had other ideas, and the master went to work in the middle overs. Manipulating the field, the right hander’s 72* from 44 balls is all the more remarkable given the fact he hit just 32 runs in boundaries.

Needing 40 off the last four overs after losing Yuvraj Singh, Kohli was met by Suresh Raina. Just one of the three dot balls in his innings came at the death, and the consistent flow between him and his partners moved India to victory with five balls remaining.

“Today was one of those days when I had to keep my cool,” after accepting the Player of the Match trophy.

“In T20s, I look at the target in number of runs and overs to go, not runs and balls to go. Overs makes it look easier.”

55* (37) v Pakistan, Kolkata, 2016

As rain laced down at Eden Gardens, the surface in the middle leaned into bowlers taking the upper hand, and the pressure of keeping the 2016 campaign in their control was placed firmly on the shoulders of the batting group.

Kohli took everything in from Pakistan’s 18 overs, with the match impeded by the weather. Shoaib Malik’s 26 (16) was the best from the opposition, and alongside Kohli, Yuvraj’s 24 kept him company.

Though the man with the MRF in his hand would not be overshadowed. As if he was on a completely different surface, Kohli committed to his shots, as well as his bow in the direction of Sachin Tendulkar when bringing up the half-century. India would go on to seal victory with 13 balls to spare.

“It was a challenging wicket, that’s what you want as a cricketer - new challenges to play,” he said.

“But getting the team out of trouble gives me pleasure. The focus becomes much more on such wickets. I think the score on the board makes me a better chaser.”

82* (51) v Australia, Mohali, 2016

The only knock perhaps to rival the Melbourne heroics, it was Kohli’s efforts in a crucial 2016 T20 World Cup match that hammered in the point of Kohli’s chasing prowess.

Taking on Australia in a quasi-quarter-final, India were set 161 for victory, with the required rate in the chase climbing over 10, and eventually close to 12 with four overs left.

Kohli timed his run to perfection though, taking 19 runs off the 18th over from James Faulkner, and 16 of Nathan Coulter-Nile. Faulkner returned, though Kohli clubbed him into the leg-side to tie a bow on his 11-boundary performance.

"You need challengers every game, they improve you as a cricketer," Kohli said.

"This innings has to be in my top three, perhaps the top right now because I am a bit emotional."

82* (53) v Pakistan, Melbourne, 2022

No stage is bigger than an MCG with more than 90,000 people, and it took every bit of a Kohli masterclass for India to prevail over their rivals.

Kohli came to the crease in the second over when KL Rahul (4) fell to Naseem Shah, and after a Powerplay of 31/3, and 31/4 straight after with the loss of Axar Patel, Pakistan were in the ascendency.

Kohli never quit, and with Hardik Pandya, sort about a counter.

The pair put on 103, and set up a final assault. Pandya fell on the first delivery of the final over, though Kohli carried on, putting Mohammad Nawaz into the stands off a waist high full toss to make it six runs required from the final three deliveries. He smartly ran three byes after the free hit made a mess of his stumps, and watched Ravichandran Ashwin loft over the off-side to deliver victory.

"It's a surreal atmosphere, I have no words, no idea how that happened. I am really lost for words," Kohli said in the moments after.

"The calculation was simple. Nawaz had one over to bowl, so if I could take Haris down, they would panic. From 28 in 8, it came down to 16 to 6. I tried to stick to my instincts. The first one was back of a hand slower ball (the one over long-on)."

"Standing here I just feel like it was meant to be. Till today Mohali was my best innings against Australia. Today I will count this one higher."