Virat Kohli has won the World Cup and led India to their first ever Test series triumph in Australia, but one of his favourite matches remains the 2016 T20 World Cup quarterfinal against Australia.
Chasing 161 for victory, India were reduced to 94-4 in the 14th over, facing an improbable task when Kohli turned it on, scoring a scarcely believable 51-ball 82 – the second-highest score in the Indian innings was Yuvraj Singh’s 21 – to help India through to the semi-finals.
Kohli said the knock taught him things about himself. “From the point of view of the atmosphere, and [given] the importance of the match, the T20 World Cup quarterfinal against Australia, in Mohali, was my favourite match,” he told Star Sports Cricket Connected.
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“We won from a difficult situation that day, and I realised a lot of things about myself. That there are situations where you can give up, when things are seeming difficult you tend to give up. But that was the day I realised if you keep believing, anything is possible.
‘“This innings has to be in my top three, perhaps the top right now, because I’m a bit emotional,” he later said. Few could disagree.’
@aadya_sh on Virat Kohli’s 82* against Australia at the 2016 World T20. https://t.co/meFO6lMhUw
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 7, 2019
“When we won the match, we couldn’t believe it, because it was one of those days where there was no positive feeling (for India) in terms of match situation.
“But I had this determination, that it can still happen, that it’s still possible. And in the end, it happened. That match will always remain special to me. Obviously, the 2011 World Cup final will be the most special, but the energy that day (in the T20 World Cup match) was very special for me.”
