The name Virat Kohli is often followed by words such as record-breaking and history-making, which is fitting for a cricketer with his caliber and drive for excellence. The upcoming T20I series that pits India against Afghanistan may once again prove to be a testament to Kohli’s prowess with the bat, as the series opener at Mohali could very well be a milestone-marking match for the former Indian skipper.
Having last played a T20 International in November 2022, Kohli is ready to don the blues in the shortest format of the game, adding post-IPL 2023 freshness to his on-field presence. On the horizon for Kohli are several achievements, ripe for the taking, potential records that could very well be checked off in the forthcoming battle at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium.
The talismanic batsman is a mere 35 runs away from joining the pantheon of greats as the first Indian—and potentially the third player internationally—to cross the remarkable threshold of 12,000 runs in T20 cricket. To date, his willow has carved out 11,965 runs across 374 T20 matches, with those runs coming from 357 innings with an impressive average of 41.40 and a strike rate to match at 133.35. His scorecard boasts eight centuries and 91 half-centuries, and it’s this consistency that makes every appearance of Kohli’s a potential record-making event.
Encroaching on another monumental number, a fifty-plus score in the series opener would propel Kohli to an elite league, becoming just the third cricketer to register a whopping 100 fifty-plus scores in T20 cricket. West Indies’ Chris Gayle currently leads this pack with 110 such scores, while Australia’s David Warner follows with 107. Achieving this milestone would further cement Kohli’s standing as a stalwart of the T20 format.
But the record run doesn’t cease there. Kohli is on the cusp of adding yet another feather to his cap, this time for the most balls faced in T20 cricket. A mere 28 deliveries away from facing 9,000 balls, Kohli is set to ascend to the distinguished rank of being one of only three players to have withstood so many deliveries in the sport’s shortest format. This club is currently held by Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik, who tops the chart with 10,168 deliveries, and once again, the Universal Boss Chris Gayle, with 10,060 balls.
These potential records are not just numbers but stand as a testament to Kohli’s dedication and his unrelenting quest for cricketing excellence. The game against Afghanistan, therefore, is not just an ordinary match but a potential page-turner in the hefty book of T20 cricket history—a history that Kohli has contributed to in significant measure.
As fans eagerly await the showdown, they might also be interested in other cricketing activities, such as Afghanistan’s all-format engagements with Sri Lanka and Ireland leading up to the T20 World Cup, and Mohammad Shami’s receiving of the prestigious Arjuna Award. Those wishing to partake in the potentially historic moment at Mohali can look up how to secure their tickets for the first T20I.
With the stage set and expectations riding high, all eyes will be on Virat Kohli when he steps onto the field, for every time he does, history whispers that it might be time for its rewriting. Whether it’s the creation of a new record or the breaking of an old one, the cricketing world waits with bated breath to see how the masterclass of Kohli unfolds in Mohali.
