NEW DELHI: If it is Mission Impossible, dial Virat Kohli. When the 23-year-old from west Delhi bats these days, no bridge seems too far and no target too big. Twice in the space of three weeks, he has almost single-handedly achieved the near-impossible for India.
On Sunday, Kohli's 183 off 148 balls against Pakistan helped India record its highest ever run chase of 330 with 2.1 overs to spare. "Bura na mano Kohli hai," went around an SMS as he raged like a storm in Mirpur. The pun was on Holi, but Kohli batted as if it was Diwali. The cricketing fireworks turned into real fireworks nationwide after India triumphed.
Last month at Hobart, his 133 off 86 balls helped overhaul Sri Lanka's 320 with 13.2 overs to spare. That afternoon, too, Kohli made batting look like a walk in the park. It's been that way for a while. This year his overall ODI average stands at a mind-boggling 73 and the strike rate is 97. Last year, he was the world's highest scorer in ODIs and the second-highest the year before. It doesn't get any better than this.
Undoubtedly, Kohli is the hottest ODI batsman on the planet. But is he the best too? That's what the statistics seems to suggest, especially when compared to the other batting greats at a similar stage - 85 games - of their respective careers. Consider this. None of the following - Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Dean Jones, MS Dhoni, Michael Bevan, and even Sachin Tendulkar and Vivian Richards - had better records than Kohli at this stage.
After 85 games, Kohli has scored 11 centuries. Nobody comes close; Lara (5) and Pointing (5) being next. In this illustrious bunch, Kohli's overall strike rate 86.31 is third only to Dhoni's 96.26 and Richards's 86.99 at the same stage. And his average (50.56) is second only to Bevan's 56.54.
Statistics suggest that Virat Kohli is the best ODI batsman in the world now. It isn't just the runs he has scored so far; it is also the manner and situation in which he has fetched them. Out of his 11 centuries, 10 have come in winning causes; seven of them in a run chase.
Thanks to him, run chases are no longer nervous affairs for India. And he seems to shun last-over heroics; Kohli prefers to finish early and in style. Only one thing jars: that his celebration seems incomplete without reference to mothers and sisters.
Once set, Kohli seems to always be in control. He seems to bring his leadership skills even to batting. His strokeplay is cultured; slogs are rare. There's plenty of wristwork on display and power too.
Kohli prefers to play along the ground but is not averse to the lofted stroke. And he plays the pull with poise. On Sunday, he was the only Indian batsman who read Saeed Ajmal. Barring one delivery that was edged for four, he had an answer to every doosra or teesra that the Pakistan spinner offered.
Before the Australia tour, most experts had put their money on Rohit Sharma as the one more likely to succeed. Kohli proved them wrong, being the faster adapter and quicker learner. Ever since he made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in August 2008, Kohli has grown and evolved beyond recognition.
As an 18-year-old, Kohli came to bat for Delhi on the day his father passed away because his team needed him. He scored 90 and steered his team to safety against Karnataka before he fell to a poor umpiring decision. Even at that age, Kohli stood out for his amazing commitment and rare temperament.
Now, Kohli is many things to many people. For the cricket fan, he is a future India captain. For media managers, he is that special face that can sell a million hair gels and mobile phones. For teenage girls, he is the pin-up of their dreams. Kohli is reaching for the stars and corporates for the cheque book.
A year after Sourav Ganguly smashed 183 against Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup, he became India's captain. Dhoni marched to ODI team's captaincy two years after hitting that brilliant 183 against Sri Lanka in 2005.
Virat is already the Indian ODI team's vice-captain. After his 183, one wonders what awaits the Delhi star.
Virat Kohli: The master of run chases
Virat Kohli, during the course of his 183 against Pakistan on Sunday cracked his 10th century in a winning cause. Here's the list.
Runs Balls Opposition Venue Date
183 148 Pakistan Mirpur 18/03/2012
133* 86 Sri Lanka Hobart 28/02/2012
118 121 Australia Visakhapatnam 20/10/2010
117 123 West Indies Visakhapatnam 02/12/2011
112* 98 England Delhi 17/10/2011
108 120 Sri Lanka Dhaka 13/03/2012
107 114 Sri Lanka Kolkata 24/12/2009
105 104 New Zealand Guwahati 28/11/2010
102* 95 Bangladesh Dhaka 11/01/2010
100* 83 Bangladesh Dhaka 19/02/2011
