Virat Kohli's record at Men's T20 World Cups is built on high-pressure chases rather than a single explosive hundred. Across multiple editions, he produced enthralling knocks that repeatedly dragged India over the line when the target looked beyond reach.
He retired from T20Is after the 2024 T20 World Cup final, finishing as the all-time leading run-scorer in the tournament's history with 1,292 runs across 33 innings in 35 matches. His 15 fifty-plus scores are the most by any batter in T20 World Cup history,
and he is the only player to win the Player of the Tournament award twice, in 2014 and 2016.
3. 72* vs South Africa, 2014 World T20 semi-final
In the semi-final of the 2014 T20 World Cup in Dhaka, India faced a target of 173 against South Africa on a sluggish wicket. Kohli anchored and then accelerated, hitting five fours and two sixes on his way to an unbeaten 72 off 44 balls to guide India into the final.
The innings confirmed his standing as a tournament-level performer capable of controlling a chase rather than merely surviving one. He finished the 2014 edition with a then-tournament-record 319 runs, earning the Player of the Tournament award for the first time.
2. 82* vs Australia, 2016 World T20
At Mohali during the 2016 World T20, India needed 161 to beat Australia and found themselves at 49 for 3 midway through the chase. Kohli rebuilt the innings methodically before shifting gears in the closing overs, scoring 32 runs from just 11 balls during a phase when India required 39 off the final 18 deliveries.
He ended unbeaten on 82 off 51 balls as India crossed the line with five deliveries to spare. That innings illustrated his capacity to move from careful accumulation to a brutal finishing burst without surrendering control of the chase. The victory saw India as hosts qualify for the semi-finals, after being beaten by New Zealand in their opening game.
1. 82* vs Pakistan, 2022 T20 World Cup
At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, India were in serious trouble chasing 160 against arch-rivals Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup, slipping to 31 for 4 inside the powerplay. Kohli steadied the innings and then accelerated sharply, striking consecutive sixes off Haris Rauf in the 19th over to shift the momentum decisively in India's favour.
He finished unbeaten on 82 off 53 balls, combining with Hardik Pandya in a match-winning partnership as India completed the chase off the final delivery. The knock is widely regarded as one of the greatest T20 innings ever played, and Kohli himself viewed it as arguably his finest in the format given the situation, the opposition and what was at stake.
