The International cricketing action is set to resume after the conclusion of IPL 2020 and the knockout leg of PSL-5. In less than ten days' time, India will kickstart their tour of Australia 2020/21 with a three-match ODI series beginning November 27. The ODI series will be shortly followed by a T20I affair before the much-anticipated tour ends with a riveting four Test matches starting in December.
The focus of the entire limited-overs series will be centered around Virat Kohli, especially when the Indian skipper will return to India after the Pink-Ball Test at Adelaide. Kohli has always enjoyed batting in Australia. His past batting records, in each of three formats, allude to his liking of playing on pitches that offer good bounce and pace.
The Indian captain holds some spectacular records against Australia in the white-ball format of the game. Despite being a run-scoring machine in the ODIs, Kohli has enjoyed his time against Australia even in the T20Is.
Here's a look at 3 T20I records held by Virat Kohli against Australia:
1. Most T20I runs against Australia- 584 runs
Virat Kohli has scored most T20Is runs against Australia. In 16 matches so far, Kohli has scored 584 runs against the Aussies at an incredible average of 64.88 including six fifties. Using all his cricketing shots to good effect, Kohli has scored these runs at a very healthy strike-rate nearing 150.
His T20 exploits against such a top-quality side like Australia are bound to be mentioned because no other player has even scored 400 runs against the ‘Men in Gold'. Kohli's spectacular average vs Australia also signifies his record of consistently doing well even in the shortest format of the game.
2. Most T20I runs in a bilateral series – 199 runs in 2015/16
India whitewashed Australia in the T20I series in 2015/16. This was a series that was completely owned by Virat Kohli and is remembered for his phenomenal hitting against the Aussie quicks. In the entire series, Kohli registered 199 runs in just three matches. In doing so, Kohli achieved the record for scoring most runs in a T20 bilateral series against Australia by any player.
Kohli's three consecutive 50+ score in that series helped him claim the ‘Man of the Series award'. He also scored his then highest T20I score, playing an unbeaten knock of 90 off just 55 deliveries in Adelaide in a match-winning cause. Even in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Australia in 2020, Kohli will be determined to repeat his past heroics and pull off a series win for Team India.
3. Most fifties against Australia in T20Is – 6
Virat Kohli has scored as many as six fifties against Australia in a mere 16 T20I innings in his career so far. This is also the record for most T20I fifties scored against Australia. No other player has even scored four fifties against the mighty Aussies in the shortest format of the game. Babar Azam, with four 50+ scores, is ranked second after Kohli in the list for most fifties in T20s.
For India to do well in the upcoming T20s against Australia, Virat Kohli will have to perform at his best. However, Kohli might also opt to skip the last two T20Is for the practice scheduled ahead of the much-important first Test on December 17. As a result, Kohli's absence might prove to be a huge loss for the ‘Men in Blue'.
