Virat Kohli and Run-chases

Virat Kohli. What an outstanding player he is turning out to be. India would look very ordinary without him. He is just self confidence personified. A lot of youngsters and children who are watching him bat right now will learn a lot from him, just as Virat learnt from the great Sachin. Very hard working and extremely talented cricketer. India is blessed to have him in the team at the moment.

Virat Kohli's unbeaten 82 helped India seal the semi-final berth in the ICC World T20 and beat Australia by six wickets in their final group game at Mohali. Chasing 161 after losing the toss and being asked to bowl first, India needed a big performance from their top order and Kohli delivered for the umpteenth time.

I didn't think Kohli could ever surpass his famous assault on Sri Lanka is Oz but he did today. Absolute magical innings. It is a miracle that a team with a misfiring Rohit, Dhawan, Raina and Yuvraj is through to the semifinals. And that miracle is called Kohli. Can he carry the pathetic Indian top order for another two matches?

There are times when words aren't enough to describe a performance on the cricket field; the adjectives seem clumsy, the praise clichéd, and the description utterly prosaic. Virat's performance today was such that it renders any effort to describe it obscenely inadequate.

To finish off a close game is special; to finish off a seemingly lost game single handedly is extraordinary; but to finish off seemingly lost games, in do-or-die situations, single handedly, while playing on your terms, match after match, is nothing short of legendary. Take a bow Virat; you justified your name, which roughly means Gigantic, today.

Kudos to Nehra as well, for that was a great performance under pressure. Well done to MSD, what are we going to do without him, for superb bowling changes and keeping things calm, as usual, after that horror show of a start.