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SPORTS NOVEMBER 11, 2022 | The Indian Eye 38

ICC T20 MEN’S WORLD CUP

It’s a Virat Kohli show all the way

Virat has scored 220 runs in the tournament in four innings at an average of 220.00.

Three fifties have come out of his bat, including a top-class 82 against Pakistan. He is the

leading run-scorer in the tournament so far

OUR BUREAU I come to Adelaide, I am meant to
enjoy myself and keep batting,” said
Adelaide
Virat in a post-match presentation.
ndia’s star batter Virat Kohli’s Virat Kohli indeed loves playing
majestic form has left everyone in at Adelaide Oval and his record here
Iawe, former Australia all-rounder is incredible.
Shane Watson has called the “Chase- In his 10 matches at the venue,
master’s” statistics in the T20 World Virat has scored 907 runs at an aver-
Cup “super freakish”. age of 75.58. He has scored five cen-
Virat has scored 220 runs in the turies and three fifties at this venue,
tournament in four innings at an av- with his best individual score being
erage of 220.00. Three fifties have 141. He is India’s highest run-scorer
come out of his bat, including a top- at the venue.
class 82* against Pakistan. He is the Also, Virat has second highest
leading run-scorer in the tournament runs at the venue by a non-Australian
so far. “He is a freak and those statis- player. The best non-Australian play-
tics are super freakish. It’s incredible er at Adelaide Oval is West Indies
that you can bat in such a high-risk great Brian Lara, who has scored
format and score consistently. It’s ri- 940 runs at an average of 67.14 in 11
diculous,” Shane Watson said on Star matches with three tons and three fif-
Sports. ties. Ricky Ponting has the most runs
“Over 1,000 runs in T20 World scored by a batter at the venue, hav-
Cups at an average of over 80, I am ing scored 2,188 runs in 32 matches.
not able to get my head around this. Virat Kohli scored his maiden
T20 cricket is a high-risk game, high- Test century at this venue. He scored
risk batting and to think that he can 116 against Australia during a series
do it at the biggest tournament, aver- back in January 2012. He ended as
aging so much and winning so many India’s leading run-scorer in that se-
games for his country,” he added. ries, with a total of 300 runs.
Kohli carried his rich vein of At the same venue in 2014, Virat
form forward in the match too. He scored centuries in both innings (115
became the highest run-scorer in the and 141) against Australia in the first
history of the T20 World Cups when Test back in December 2014. Though
he took his 16th run in this innings India lost the match by 48 runs and
and also went on to play yet another series as well, Kohli thrashing top-
magnificent knock of an unbeaten 64 class bowlers like Mitchell Johnson
from 44 deliveries, his third fifty of and Nathan Lyon is fondly remem-
this tournament. bered by fans.
With this, Virat’s record in T20 At this venue, Virat Kohli has a
World Cup is - 1,065 runs in 23 in- World Cup hundred against arch-ri-
nings across 25 matches at an aver- vals Pakistan, that he scored back in
age of 88.75. 13 half-centuries have 2015 in a winning cause.
come off his bat, with the best score In his first T20I at this venue
of 89*. His strike rate in the tourna- back in January 2016, Virat Kohli
ment is 132.46. Group 2 table toppers with six points. Fifties from Virat Kohli and scored a match-winning 90* against
He has surpassed Sri Lankan KL Rahul, superb bowling spells Australia, which also earned him the
great Mahela Jayawardene, who Adelaide Oval: the happy by bowlers helped India clinch a ‘Man of the Match’ title.
scored 1,016 runs in 31 matches at an hunting ground 5-run victory over Bangladesh in a During India’s 2018-19 tour to
average of 39.07. One century and six rain-curtailed clash of Group 2, Su- Australia, Virat led India to a win in
half-centuries have come off his bat tar Indian batter Virat Kohli per 12 match of the ongoing ICC T20 the first Test of the series that they
in this tournament, with a best of 100. said on Wednesday that he loves World Cup in Adelaide on Wednes- won 2-1 in December 2018, their
With three wins in their hands Splaying at Adelaide Oval and day. “I love playing at this ground. first-ever series win in Australia.
out of four matches, India are the the venue makes him “feel at home”. This makes me feel at home. When Continued at next page... >>
Continued at next page... >>

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