Kohli's startling record in T20 WC history proves why he is the ultimate 'chasemaster'

Team India began their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign with a nerve-wracking four-wicket win over Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday. The architect behind India's win over their arch-rivals was none other than India's ex-skipper Virat Kohli. Kohli is known to thrive under pressure and his performance against Pakistan was a testament to this.

Following the victory in the opening match of the T20 World Cup 2022, Kohli himself admitted that it was the best knock of his overall T20I career. He said, "Till today, I said Mohali was my best T20I innings. Then I got 82 off 52, today I got 82 off 53. Both are just as special. Today, I will count this one higher because of the magnitude of the occasion and the situation we were in."

This is not the first time that Kohli has delivered on the big stage when Team India needed a helping hand. We take a look at his astonishing numbers while chasing targets in the T20 World Cup.

Virat Kohli while chasing in T20 WC history: Stats you cannot miss 

Virat Kohli earned the name of 'chasemaster' having won matches for Team India from an impossible position. The India vs Pakistan match on Sunday was no different as Kohli slammed an unbeaten 82 runs off 53 balls to guide the team to victory. Talking about the numbers while chasing during T20 World Cups, Kohli has scored a total of 541 runs at a strike rate of 135.92. The right-handed batsman has only been dismissed twice in his overall ten innings. The recent half-century against Pakistan took his average to a mind-boggling 270.50. Kohli has scored 251 runs from four innings against the neighbours.

Revisiting Virat Kohli's T20I career

Talking about Virat Kohli's T20I career, the 33-year-old has played a total of 110 T20Is and has scored 3794 runs at an average of 51.97 and with a strike rate of 138.41. The right-handed batter recently scored a T20I century against Afghanistan during Asia Cup 2022. Kohli has amassed an overall 34 half-centuries in the shortest format of the game.

During the match against Pakistan, Kohli also registered numerous records. He now has an average of 81.33 against Pakistan in T20Is which is the highest for any player against an opponent in this format. Kohli also became the leading run-getter in the format scoring a total of 3794 runs and, in the process, leapfrogged team-mate Rohit Sharma's 3741 runs. Out of those, 927 runs have come in the T20 World Cup, the third-highest by a batsman in the competition. 

Kohli has remained unbeaten 18 times in successful chases in men's T20Is. The record is joint-most alongside Pakistan's Shoaib Malik. Kohli has scored 1621 runs in 36 successful T20I chases with 16 half-centuries, including 11 unbeaten ones.