Seventy three runs from six matches at a lowly average of 12.16, with a best of 35. That's Virat Kohli's record in ICC World Cup knockout matches. For all the talks of him being the 'chase master', Kohli has struggled to get going in the crunch games.
Kohli managed just one run each in the last two World Cup semifinals against Australia and New Zealand respectively. Interestingly, India came second best while chasing on both occasions.
Kohli made 24 against Australia in the quarterfinals of the 2011 World Cup followed by scores of 9 and 35 against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the semifinals and final respectively. He fell for just just three in the 2015 quarterfinal against Bangladesh.
Another point to be noted is that India were chasing in four of these six outings. In fact the batting maestro failed to make it to double digits in his last three appearances in a knockout match in the showpiece.
In stark contrast, Kohli has a superb record in the quadrennial event. He has an aggregate of 1,624 runs from 35 matches at a highly impressive average of 58 and a strike rate of 87.35.
He is third behind Indian great Sachin Tendulkar ( 2,560 from 42 matches) and Australian legend Ricky Ponting (1,743 from 46 games) in the run-getters' tally in the mega event. Kohli has four hundreds and 11 fifties in the World Cup.
The veteran has been in sparkling form in this edition, with 594 runs from nine matches. He tops the run charts and needs 80 more to break Tendulkar's record (673 runs from 11 matches in 2003) for the most number of runs in a single edition of the World Cup. Kohli is also tied with his idol Tendulkar for the most number of One-Day International tons (49).
The 35-year-old will be keen to erase his poor record in the knockout matches when India take on New Zealand in the first semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. The Kiwi attack consisting of Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson and Mitchell Santner will try to make life difficult for Kohli & Co. Kohli holds the Indian batting together and his success or failure will have a huge bearing on the outcome.
