82* v Australia, T20 World Cup, 2016

In a virtual knockout against Australia in the final group game of the T20 World Cup at home in 2016, Kohli once again played a pivotal hand in helping India through with a match-winning 82* in a run-chase of 161. It is often hailed as the best knock by Kohli in T20Is, and rightly so as he led the team from 49-3 to the target, barely playing a false shot the entire innings. A 19-run over followed by a 16-run over towards the end, where he blasted James Faulkner and Nathan Coulter-Nile firmly tilted the game India’s way.

94* v West Indies, Hyderabad, 2019

This game is remembered as the one where Kohli appeared really scratchy to start with, but pumped himself up after a war of words with Kesrick Williams to script a dramatic turnaround. It’s Kohli’s highest score in T20Is, and came with India chasing a daunting 208 to win. Kohli went from 37 off 28 before the altercation with Williams to 94* off 50 balls, making a stunning 57 runs off the last 22 balls of his innings to help India get home with more than an over to spare.

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70* v West Indies, Mumbai, 2019

A 135-run opening partnership between Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul was quickly overshadowed as Kohli, walking in during the 12th over, bludgeoned seven sixes in a 29-ball 70* that propelled India to 240, their third-highest total in T20Is. A strike-rate of 241.37 makes this Kohli’s fastest knock in the format for India.

72* vs South Africa, T20 World Cup, 2014

Possibly the first among several Virat Kohli classics in the shortest format of the game, this T20 World Cup semi final game in Dhaka seemed to be going down to the wire until Kohli grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and helped India romp home with five balls to spare. Needing 93 to win in the last 10 overs, Kohli went from 17 off 16 balls to finish on 72* off just 44 balls, making his last 55 runs off 28 balls.

70 v New Zealand, Chennai, 2012

The earliest sign that Kohli’s classical style of batting had a place in T20 cricket came in this T20I against New Zealand in Chennai in 2012. That India lost by a run does not take the sheen off Kohli’s brilliant knock that came off just 41 balls – a strike-rate of 170.73 while opening the batting. When he fell, India had already made 120 in 13.2 overs, but the middle-order couldn’t take the team across the line in the latter half of the innings.

90* v Australia, Adelaide, 2016

A first innings classic, Kohli’s unbeaten 90 was the cornerstone of India’s total of 188-3 in Adelaide in this game in 2016. The No.3 batsman walked in during the fifth over of the innings and targeted the weaker links in the Aussie attack to race to a fine half-century. His fifty came up off 33 balls and in his next 22, he smashed 40 more to take India to a total that eventually proved to be well above par.