- By Himanshu Badola
- Sat, 14 Oct 2023 11:24 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
IND vs PAK: Virat Kohli has been the key force for the Men in Blue against the arch-rivals Pakistan in the World Cups over the years, helping his team to continue their promising run in the crucial tournaments.
He will be keen to carry on his remarkable form when he faces Pakistan in Match 12 of the ongoing ODI World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
The 34-year-old has scored half-centuries in both the matches the Men in Blue have played so far against Australia and Sri Lanka respectively.
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When it comes to performing against Pakistan in ICC World Cups, Virat has always delivered with India expecting very similar from the former skipper to remain unbeaten in the tournament.
In the ODI World Cups, Kohli has scored a total of 193 runs in three matches against Pakistan at an average of 64.33 He scored a remarkable century against them in the league game in Adelaide in the 2015 ODI World Cup in Australia.
There's something about Virat that brings the best out of him against the big teams on big occasions as he shared his views on the same. He spoke about the T20 World Cup match against Pakistan in Melbourne and said that he felt energy once he stepped into the stadium.
"The lead-up to games like this is what makes it so special. The buzz in Melbourne in general and outside the stadium was amazing and the moment I stepped onto the field I felt that energy in the stadium," Virat Kohli said in an ICC video.
Talking about the T20I brilliance, Virat is a run machine against the arch-rivals in the T20 World Cups, having scored 308 runs so far in five matches. He has been dismissed only once against them in the history of the specific tournament.
Overall, he has scored a total of 501 runs against Pakistan in World Cups at a remarkable average of 125.25.
Looking at Kohli’s overall record against Pakistan in one-dayers, he has featured in 15 matches against the arch-rivals, scoring 662 runs at an average of 55.16, with three hundreds.
Apart from his ton in the 2015 World Cup clash, Kohli played a memorable knock of 183 runs in 148 balls in an Asia Cup match in Mirpur in March 2012. He struck 22 fours and a six as the Men in Blue chased down 330 in 47.5 overs, with six wickets in hand.
The star batter also scored a century in the team's previous ODI encounter against Pakistan in Colombo during the Asia Cup 2023.
Virat scored a supporting knock of 77 runs in 65 deliveries against Pakistan in the last edition of the ODI World Cup in 2019 while in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup he went on to play one of the legendary innings of 82 runs in 53 balls to help his team clinch the victory.
He has been dismissed for a sub-50 score only once in eight World Cup [ODI + T20] games against Pakistan. That was in 2011.
Virat Kohli's scores against Pakistan in ICC World Cups:
2011 ODI WC (Semi Final): 9 runs in 21 balls
2012 T20 WC (Super 8): 78* runs in 61 balls
2014 T20 WC (League Stage): 36* runs in 32 balls
2015 ODI WC (League Stage): 107 runs in 126 balls
2016 T20 WC (Super 10): 55* runs in 37 balls
2019 ODI WC (League Stage): 77 runs in 65 balls
2021 T20 WC (League Stage): 57 runs in 49 balls
2022 T20 WC (Super 12): 82 runs in 53 balls