Virat Kohli matches Babar Azam's record with half-century in T20 World Cup final
Virat Kohli hit three boundaries in the first over. PHOTO: ICC
In the T20 World Cup final held at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, Virat Kohli delivered a standout performance, hitting a 48-ball fifty and finishing with 76 off 59 balls against South Africa.
Kohli's remarkable innings came after a slow start to the tournament, where he had only managed 75 runs in the first seven matches. After India found themselves at 23-2, Kohli formed a crucial partnership with Axar Patel.
His 39th fifty-plus score in men's T20I cricket ties him with Babar Azam, who achieved the same milestone in 123 matches, compared to Kohli's 126.
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Following his fifty, Kohli accelerated his scoring rate, adding 26 runs in just 11 balls to help India set a formidable total of 176 for 7 in their 20 overs. This total is now the highest-ever in T20 World Cup finals while batting first, surpassing New Zealand's 172/4 against Australia in the 2021 final.
Most fifty-plus scores in men’s T20Is:
- Babar Azam - 39 in 123 matches
- Virat Kohli - 39 in 126 matches
- Rohit Sharma - 37 in 159 matches
- Mohammad Rizwan - 30 in 102 matches
Kohli's performance was instrumental in setting a challenging target for South Africa, highlighting his enduring class and ability to perform on the big stage.