Adelaide: Imagine a scenario! Once, at some time ahead when Virat Kohli decides to hang his boots, where will he want to settle down? He will certainly have Adelaide very much at the top of his thought train.
Several cricketers have this karmic connection with a cricket ground, something like an adopted home.
Sachin Tendulkar will forever have a special place in his heart for Sydney Cricket Ground, VVS Laxman’s cricket memories will remain incomplete without Eden Gardens, Kumar Sangakkara ruled Sinhalese Cricket Ground like no one ever did, and Kohli has a similar connection with the Adelaide Oval.
No half measures
It is in this city that Kohli started his cricketing journey, showcasing his awesome talent to the world. The first Test hundred of Kohli came at this venue in 2012. India had lost that Test but Kohli told the cricketing fraternity in no half measures that he was in there for a long haul.
Then those twin hundreds came in 2014, underlining his liking for the Adelaide Oval square. Once again, India did not win the Test, but the burning desire of Kohli to be on the right side of the result.
Kohli too was in no denial of his affection for the Adelaide Oval and Australia in general. “As soon as I knew the World Cup was in Australia, I was grinning from ear to ear,” Kohli said after the win over Bangladesh in T20 World Cup 2022.
“I knew good cricketing shots would be the key. I knew the kind of experience and game awareness of having played in Australia will come in handy for the team,” said Kohli.
Those cricketing shots have indeed come handy for Kohli in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. He has made 3 fifties in 5 matches and the former India captain is now the leading run-getter so far in the World Cup, in this edition as well as overall.
If you break it down to the bare numbers, Kohli has 907 runs at Adelaide Oval alone and averages 75.58. In T20Is alone, Kohli has 154 runs from 2 matches at Adelaide at a strike-rate of 155.55 with scores of 64 and 90 not out.
Impressive numbers
His overall numbers in Australia too are massively impressive — 3350 runs in 68 innings scored at an average of 56.77 runs. If you take his overall T20I numbers in Australia, Kohli has 671 runs from 14 innings, averaging 83.87 and at a strike rate of 144.61.
These are numbers you cannot ignore. England had every right to feel a bit anxious on how to stop the batting master at his favourite venue.
“He too didn’t have a few loud months but he has earned the right to be around. Earlier, he had produced the numbers and now he has got the runs and he is looking good,” said England all-rounder Ben Stokes.
The statement might look a tad plain without the usual embellishments but Stokes clearly knew the numbers and the Kohli effect in Adelaide. So, what do we have in store on Thursday?
