New Delhi:
Virat Kohli stole the show in the Hyderabad Twenty20 International against West Indies by smashing his highest individual score of 94. His 23rd fifty was a record of most fifty-plus scores in Twenty20 Internationals after being level with Rohit Sharma on 22. Kohli's knock of 94* helped India achieve their highest successful chase in the format and consigned West Indies to their seventh straight loss against India in T20Is. Kohli, during his brilliant knock, shared a partnership of 100 with KL Rahul, who also broke a record during the match. Heading into the Hyderabad game, Rahul need 26 runs to reach 1000 runs in the format.
Rahul got going with three boundaries off Jason Holder and he also top-edged a six off Sheldon Cottrell to move closer to his milestone. In the second ball of the sixth over, Rahul slog swept Kharry Pierre to the deep square leg fence for a big six and Rahul went past 1000 runs in just his 29 innings. Rahul joined an elite list with this knock in Hyderabad. The Karnataka right-hander became the joint-third fastest to reach 1000 runs in Twenty20 Internationals, equalling the mark set by Aaron Finch of Australia.
Only two other players have reached 1000 runs faster than Rahul. Pakistan's Babar Azam holds the world record for the fastest to 1000 runs, having achieved the mark in just 26 innings. Indian skipper Kohli is second having taken 27 innings to reach the landmark. Rahul became the seventh Indian player after Rohit Sharma, Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh to go past 1000 runs in T20Is.
After going past the milestone, Rahul hit a couple of boundaries off Hayden Walsh Jr and Kesrick Williams as Kohli grew in confidence. On 49, Rahul survived a close chance when he top-edged a slog to short fine leg only for Brandon King to put the catch down.
A couple of balls later, Rohit hit his seventh fifty and he celebrated the landmark with his third six by pulling Williams over deep backward square leg. Rahul looked ominous when he slog swept a flighted ball from Pierre 101 meters over deep midwicket for a six but he perished the next ball for a well-made 62 off 40 balls. Although Rahul fell, Kohli tore the West Indies bowling to guide India home by six wickets.
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Speaking after the match, Rahul said, "Everybody likes me when I score runs, that's how it goes. I don't plan my innings according to the strike rate. Not much changes (approach during first innings or second innings). I want to get used to the wicket. If I get set, I can chase it down, I know that. My role is to set the foundation and we have others to do their job later, the finishing job."
