2022 Asia Cup: Virat Kohli gets his 100th T20I cap
Former Indian captain Virat Kohli received his 100th T20I cap ahead of the Asia Cup game against arch-rivals Pakistan. He has become just the second cricketer to feature in 100 matches in each of the three formats. Earlier, former New Zealand batter Ross Taylor was the only player with this record. Kohli, one of the batting greats, has over 3,000 runs in T20I cricket.
- Before Kohli, no Indian cricketer played 100 matches in each of Test, ODI, and T20I cricket.
- Sachin Tendulkar, who has featured in a record 664 games, played just one T20I in his entire career.
- Meanwhile, the modern-day T20I specialists do not get much exposure in the longer formats.
- Kohli is one of the few batters who excelled in all three formats simultaneously.
Kohli made his international debut in August 2008 in an ODI against Sri Lanka. In a career spanning over a decade, the right-handed batter has played 102 Tests, 262 ODIs, and 100 T20Is. Kohli is the leading run-scorer among active cricketers, having slammed 23,726 runs from 464 matches at an average of 53.55. The tally includes a record 70 tons.
Earlier this year, Kohli recorded his 100th appearance in Test cricket. He became the 12th Indian to reach this landmark in the format. The 33-year-old had earned his maiden Test cap in 2011 when India took on the West Indies in Jamaica.
Kohli is the only cricketer to have slammed over 20 (22) ODI centuries in successful run-chases. He slammed 41 tons across formats while leading Team India, the joint-most by a captain with Ricky Ponting. Kohli is the only batter to have slammed eight or more ODI centuries against three different teams (9 vs West Indies, 8 vs Australia and Sri Lanka).
King Kohli hit his purple patch between 2016 and 2019. In this period, the Run Machine racked up 10,331 runs from 158 internationals at an astronomical average of 71.24. He smacked over half of his centuries in this span (36). Interestingly, Kohli averaged 83.73 in ODI cricket. He slammed seven Test double-centuries, the most by an Indian in the format.
Kohli has become the 14th cricketer to feature in 100 or more T20 Internationals. Among Indians, only Rohit Sharma, who owns the most number of T20I caps, has played more games in the format. Kohli is one of only four players to have scored over 3,000 runs in the shortest format. He has 3,308 runs at a remarkable average of 50.12.
Despite his stature, Kohli has been short of runs of late. He hasn't scored an international ton in nearly three years. He smashed 136 against Bangladesh in the Eden Gardens Test (Day/Night) in November 2019. Since his last century, he has scored 2,554 runs from 68 internationals at an average of 35.47. The tally includes just 24 half-centuries.
