How A Typical Virat Kohli T20 Inning Is Constructed

Deconstructing how Virat Kohli plays in a T20 inning in IPL.

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Virat Kohli is an Indian Premier League(IPL) legend. He has scored 6283 runs in 199 innings. Kohli is the highest run-scorer of the tournament. He has scored five IPL centuries in 14 seasons he has played - all for Royal Challengers Bangalore(RCB). 

Scoring runs consistently is a very tough job in a T20 format but Kohli made it look so easy. However, as always, the players know what they are doing and follow a process. 

An advantage Kohli has is he plays in the top order - opener and number three. While opening the batting - Virat has scored 2750 runs in 76 innings and at number three, he has made 2696 runs in 85 innings. 

A top-order batter has more balls to play and has the opportunity to score more runs than the batters playing at lower down the order. Virat Kohli is an anchor-based batter. This type of batter has the responsibility to play all through the 20-overs and control the inning. 

Overall 

A typical Kohli inning begins slowly. In the first ten balls, Virat strikes at a rate of 110 and averages 42.67. In the next 20 deliveries, once he gets his eye in, Kohli's strike rate goes up to 126, averaging nearly 40. 

However, after 30 balls, Kohli begins his hammering as the strike rate touches 161 while still averaging 42. Post 50 plus deliveries, Kohli's striking level peaks at a rate of 239.51 while still averaging 27.71. 

Going through the overs split-wise, when Kohli bats in the powerplay, he scores at a strike rate of 116.41 and averages 39.3. Post powerplay, Virat slows down and scores at a rate of 114 but keeps his wicket intact - averaging 53.5. From 12-16 overs, Kohli starts to increase the rate at 138.96 and averages 32.1 and in the final slog overs, Virat smacks at 205.3. 

2016-18 

Virat Kohli peaked during these years. In 2016 alone, Kohli smashed four centuries in IPL. In 40 matches, Virat scored 1811 runs at an average of 54.88. 

During that period, Kohli started his innings at a strike rate of 127.01 in the first ten balls and averaged 79.17. 

In the next ten balls, he scored at 120.95 and in the further ten deliveries, Kohli's strike rate increased to 138.17. The acceleration continued and the hitting rate went up to 149.44. In the next ten balls, the strike rate went to 193.13 and once he faced 50 plus deliveries, the hitting rate was up to 237.74. 

2019-21 

After a staggering three seasons, Kohli's quiet phase began. In the last three seasons, Kohli has made 1335 runs at an average of 34.23. 

Kohli began his inning at a 124.18 strike rate and in the further ten balls, his hitting rate went down to 107 and 118.59 in the next 10. However, it's not like he is getting out, Kohli struggles to find boundaries during this period. 

After 30 balls, Kohli's strike rate shot up to 159; 171 in the next 10, and 200 once he plays 50 plus deliveries. 

If one sees it, Kohli's approach is similar to what he has been doing over the years, but in the last three seasons, he isn't able to find boundaries to keep the scoring rate up. 

In the powerplay overs, Kohli strikes at 130 but as soon as the fielding restrictions are over, his strike rate goes down to 100; his average though is 54 during this time - meaning he doesn't get out but struggles. 

From 12-16, Kohli begins to increase the rate at 124 but in the last three seasons, he mostly gets out in this phase - an average of 20.77. However, if he finds himself in the final slog overs, Kohli's strike rate goes up to 225.32. 

Virat Kohli's T20 approach is a typical anchor-based innings where he plays out nearly 1/4 of the team's deliveries to get himself in and then after that, is a batter no bowler wants to bowl to. 

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Featured story written by Sahil Mathur. 

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His approach has made him what he is but his gamble is not getting the results Kohli and his team want. In IPL 2022, let's see if the approach continues to be the same or will the gamble finally pays off like that in 2016-18.