The Asia Cup was truly a competition that Kohli turned into his own playground, racking up multiple trophies
The Asia Cup 2025 is here, and as always, cricket
enthusiasts from Asian countries are super excited to see their home countries take on the rest. However, the unavailability of one player has certainly taken a toll on the tournament, and that player is Virat Kohli. A crowd puller, his absence is certainly being felt in stadiums. Not to forget, his actions on the pitch were unmatched, pure magic that not only India but also the rest of the teams are missing.
Speaking about Virat Kohli, he made several records in the tournament. However, there is one record that we absolutely love, given that it was a statement of his dominance and batting prowess in two different formats of the same tournament. For the unversed souls, when it comes to the top individual scorers’ chart in Asia Cup history across formats, Virat Kohli stands at the top with his 122 and 183.
ODI Format
183 against PAK
It is always a pleasure to see an Indian player get a big innings against arch-rival Pakistan. In 2012, a young Virat Kohli did exactly the same, toying with the PAK bowling line-up to finish the match with 13 balls despite the target being a steep 329.
Opting to bat first, PAK pressed on the gas from the get-go with its two openers scoring centuries. Mohammad Hafeez scored 105 runs in 113 balls at a strike rate of 92.92, whereas Nasir Jamshed supported Hafeez with 112 runs in 104 balls at a strike rate of 107.69. Younis Khan also added 52 runs in 34 balls to help PAK post the target of 329.
(Credit- Hindustan Times)
India had a wobbly start with Gautam Gambhir gone for a duck and Sachin Tendulkar adding only 52. That’s when Virat Kohli took the onus on himself and scored 183 runs in 148, taking India to 318 when he lost his wicket. The rest of the 12 runs were easily scored by Raina and Dhoni. Kohli was the Player of the Match for his 183 and two crucial catches.
T20 format
122 against Afghanistan
Virat Kohli played 125 games in his T20 international career. However, he did not have a single T20 century until this game in 2022 against Afghanistan. At that juncture, Kohli was going through a lean patch, having not scored a century for nearly three years, as the entire cricket fraternity waited for the 71st.
Credit- Scroll.in
Finally, against Afghanistan in the Super Four match on September 8, 2022, Kohli scored 122 runs in 61 balls at a strike rate of 200, which included 12 boundaries and six maximums. Kohli helped India post a target of 212 runs, and in response, the Afghans managed only 111 runs, handing India a 101-run win.
Despite all these runs galore, age has caught up with Kohli, who retired from T20 and Test, because of which he is not in this year’s Asia Cup. However, the Indian legend aims to play the 2027 World Cup, and we certainly hope he does.
