Virat Kohli's best knock in each format in international cricket

2.ODI cricket- 183 Vs Pakistan, 2012

It was the 18th of March 2012. The Shere Bangla National stadium was packed to the rafters. India were taking on arch rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup. The Pakistanis had batted first and posted a challenging total of 329 runs on the board. India got off to a horrible start with opener Gautam Gambhir dismissed for a duck.

Kohli came out and joined Sachin Tendulkar in the middle. Kohli’s first boundary did not come in a convincing manner. The Indian batsman closed his bat face a little early to a rising delivery, the ball took the edge and flew past third man into the boundary. Off the last ball of the 4th over, Virat Kohli executed a sublime flick off his hips. He rose with the ball beautifully, and brought his wrists into play to send the ball racing past square leg.

He brought up his half century with a cut off Saeed Ajmal past point. The duo of Kohli and Tendulkar put on 133 runs for the second wicket before the latter succumbed to the guile of Ajmal. But, Kohli did not get flustered. The Indian batting superstar got to his 11th ODI hundred with a single to long-on.

After he went past three figures, there was no stopping Kohli. Umar Gul was lofted over his head for a boundary, and he was pressing on the accelerator. The fifth ball of the 41st over witnessed Kohli at his best. To a ball that was pitched just outside off stump, he got onto the front foot and creamed the ball over cover for six. It was a shot of a man at the height of his prowess.

Kohli’s innings came to an end with India just 12 runs short of the target. To a short delivery from Gul, Kohli went for the pull, the ball took the leading edge of his willow and settled into the hands of Mohammad Hafeez. Virat Kohli’s blistering innings allowed India to thump Pakistan by 6 wickets with 13 balls to spare.