Virat Kohli has been a fine servant for India cricket ever since he wore the blue colours of the senior team in 2008 against Sri Lanka. The Delhi batsman has gone on to become one of the best cricketers in world cricket, and has even drawn comparisons to living legends such as Sachin Tendulkar.
Though the comparison might not be too fair at this stage, one look his record in all formats of the game shows that Kohli has come a long way, and could be one of the batting greats like Tendulkar in the future. He has scored 7570 ODI runs, 3554 Test runs and 1657 T20 runs so far. Irrespective of the format, he is India's best player at present.
Kohli has turned 28 today, and here is a look at some of his best five ODI innings.
133* against Sri Lanka in Hobart, 2012
This special innings of Kohli will be etched in cricket fans memories forever. India, chasing 321 runs to win, had to get the required target in a stipulated quick time to get the bonus point and keep their hopes of playing in the final, and Kohli delivered a special innings flooded with 16 fours and two sixes. The match will also be highly remembered the way Kohli dismantled one of the best bowlers during the time Lasith Malinga, who gave away 96 runs in 7.4 overs, all thanks to the Delhi batsman. This innings of Kohli on foreign soil is one of best peformances by an India batsmen in recent years.
183 runs against Pakistan in Mirpur, 2012
Kohli has played a number of match-winning knocks against Pakistan, and there seems to be some something extra, which pushes him to excel against the arch-rivals. The India batsmen came to the batting crease under huge pressure after Pakistan dismissed Gautam Gambhir in the first over for a duck. With India requiring 330 runs to win, Kohli shouldered responsibility in the chase, scoring a stunning 148-ball 183, helping his team win the match. Kohli scored more than half of the runs for India to steer India to victory.
154 runs vs New Zealand in Mohali, 2016
Virat Kohli is one of the best run-chasers among the current batsmen in world cricket, and the right-hander proved us why with yet another stunning second innings effort in Mohali. Kohli walked to the batting crease quite early on, and looked in bright form. Chasing 285 runs to win, Kohli took the attack to the New Zealand bowlers along with Dhoni to script a quality win. The batsman was not troubled much in the innings, and scored runs at will all around the wicket to score 154 runs from 134 balls.
Click here to watch Kohli's 154 runs highlights
106 runs against Australia in Canberra, 2016
Most of Kohli's hundred has been in the winning cause for India, but this innings, despite his dominance of the Australian bowlers, could not help India win the match. Chasing 323 runs, Kohli had done his work, at least he thought so and many fans, after scoring a breezy 92-ball 106, hitting the Aussie bowlers all around the park en route to his ton, but a late order collapse denied India the victory.
107 runs against Sri Lanka in Kolkata, 2009
This innings of Kohli might not truly deserve a mention here, but then how can one overlook his first hundred. For any batsman, scoring a maiden ton will be one of his first achievements. Kohli has scored 26 ODI centuries, but his first century in ODI cricket against Sri Lanka in a winning cause for India in a jam-packed Eden Gardens stadium makes it even sweeter. The right-hander worked hard to score that ton in Kolkata, which included 11 fours and one six.
