Dharamsala: Star batter Virat Kohli just loves run-chases - be it the 50-over format or the T20 format. He is called the Chase Master. If in the 1990s and 2000s, India relied upon one player - Sachin Tendulkar, now the cricket buffs in the country have their faith in Virat Kohli when the team is chasing a target.
But for Virat Kohli, a former India skipper, it is just another day in office. Last Thursday, Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten hundred in India's win over Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune in a league fixture of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
Cut to Sunday at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium here, Kohli once again showed his mettle and stood tall kike a rock during India's successful run chase against New Zealand in the league game of the ongoing Cricket World Cup. Kohli, who made a responsible 95, helped India trounce the Kiwis by four wickets and continue their unbeaten run in the marquee tournament.
Skipper Rohit Sharma was effusive in his praise for Kohli. "We've seen him do this for so many years. He's such a calm head and backs himself to do the job," Sharma said after the team's victory. For the record, Kohli has played 96 innings in successful run-chases in ODIs. He has scored 50 plus in 48 of those. He has 23 centuries and 25 fifties in India's successful run-chases. The Delhi player hence loves chasing.
Kohli has been dismissed thrice in the 90s in successful run chases - 91 against Bangladesh at Mirpur, in 2010, 96 not out against Bangladesh at Birmingham in 2019 and 95 against New Zealand at Dharamsala. Also, India chased 274 in Dharamsala and it was their fourth-highest chase in the history of ODI World Cups.
Also, interestingly, in this World Cup, India has won all their games while chasing - against Australia in Chennai, against Afghanistan in New Delhi, against Pakistan at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, against Bangladesh at MCA Stadium in Pune and against New Zealand at Dharamsala.
Former India players too hailed Virat for his stupendous knock in Dharamsala on Sunday night. Virat Kohli, the run machine, already was in the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup-winning Indian team in 2011. If India goes on to win the current ODI World Cup, Virat Kohli's role will be monumental.
