Indian skipper Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batsmen in the contemporary world. Irrespective of the format, Kohli has reigned supreme for more than five years now at the international level. Among the active players, Kohli is the only player to average more than 50 in each of the three formats.
His ability to perform consistently has seen him grow in stature as one of the most prolific run-scorer at the highest level. However, even Kohli has failed to perform at some of the biggest occasions. Despite being an evergreen batsman, the Indian run-machine has failed to deliver at the big stages in the knockout matches of the multi-nation tournaments.
Here’s a look at 3 occasions when Virat Kohli failed in knockout matches:
India vs Australia World Cup Semi-Final 2015
India arrived in the World Cup Semi-Final 2015 against Australia on the back of a winning streak in the league stage. However, bowling first, the ‘Men in Blue’ conceded nearly 330 runs in the first innings. While all the hopes were pinned on Virat Kohli to deliver in a huge run-chase, the 31-year old failed miserably in the all-important clash. Kohli scored a mere run after he was bounced off by Mitchell Johnson after facing 12 deliveries. It was a disappointing outing for Kohli as India failed to chase down the target in the Semi-Final.
India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy Final 2017
The story in the 2017 Champions Trophy final against Pakistan saw another heartbreak for the Indian fans as the ‘Men in Blue’ bowed out against a dominant Pakistan outfit. Once again, chasing 339 runs in the Final, Indian top-order was in the limelight to empower a good start at the top. However, Indian hopes were shattered into pieces when skipper Kohli had to walk back to the pavilion with a score of only five against his name. It was another instance of Kohli failing to live by the expectations of the fans and the team at the final hurdle.
India vs New Zealand World Cup Semi-Final 2019
Prior to the Sem-Final defeat against New Zealand, Kohli-led side had a brilliant tournament at the World Cup 2019. India witnessed an all-round show with every player chipping in with contributions at different stages of the tournament. However, India faced a humiliating defeat in the SF when they failed to go past BlackCaps’ score of 239 at Manchester.
While India lost Rohit Sharma early, fans expected Kohli to drive India home after the early setback in the innings. However, even Kohli couldn’t see off the tide to be adjudged lbw in the next over for a score of 1. India’s World Cup dream diminished within a few minutes of the departure of two of India’s pillars in the batting department. It was the third consecutive occasion in the knockouts when Kohli failed to bail out his team from troubled times.
