(Cricket news): Virat Kohli has now become the fifth batsman to enter the ten thousand run club in the T20 format and is the first Indian to do it. He has so far played 314 T20 matches and stands fourth with 10038 runs to his name while being the only player in the top 20 to have an average above 40.
Although his shots are well timed and crafted, his game troubles bowlers in all the formats such is his skill. Kohli mostly relies upon timing and footwork while playing shots rather than power while the rest of the top batsmen swing away in glory. The IPL demands the batsmen to be attacking and experimenting as Kohli plays trademark shots which is enough to break records in the game. He has scored 500 plus runs in the IPL in five seasons, he is the only player to score more than 900 runs in a season and is the only player to score four hundreds in a single edition.
Kohli’s rivals have a different game plan and strategy, while looking at Chris Gayle who uses his raw strength to clear the boundaries and Ab De Villers who uses the 360 angle to hit balls around the park. Kohli is an aggressive player on the field who is on his way to become the greatest ever as runs come pouring when he enters the pitch. He is expected to come close or even break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 centuries as Kohli now has 70 centuries and is only 32 years old.
Kohli has so far scored 307 runs accompanied by three fifties and is the leading run getter in IPL with 6185 runs with a 500 run lead over second placed Shikhar Dhawan such is his dominance in the field. Even though he will step down as captain of the T20 team after the World Cup and Royal Challengers Bangalore after this IPL, there are records which he will break. Kohli as of now needs 87 runs to overtake Aaron Finch as the leading run getter in T20s as a captain, he will aim to win the ICC trophy in his final outing as captain.
He has been leading Royal Challengers Bangalore since 2013 and has been part of the team since 2008. The team is currently placed third in the points table and needs striking from the captain who is currently the leading run scorer in the team and will be hoping to take the Cup this time. Kohli has been the batting powerhouse of the Indian team for the past few years in all the formats, he was in great touch in the last World Cup but this time the IPL fever can be an added advantage. Since it will be played in UAE many of the players will be used to the pitches and conditions while India won the inaugural edition under captain cool, fourteen years later an aggressive right hander will guide the team to glory.
Also read: How Kohli overcame persistent back issues
