Virat Kohli is often regarded as one of the best batters in T20 cricket. His role is associated with that of an anchor - one around whom other players play. Amidst all this, his ball-striking abilities in the death overs go unnoticed.
As far as stats are concerned, Kohli is one of the best finishers in the current Indian team - even better than Dinesh Karthik. Yes, let's take you through the numbers.
Virat Kohli - The Finisher
Virat Kohli has found himself playing in the last 4 overs in T20I games 38 times. In these games, he has faced 341 balls and scored 665 runs. He has hit 60 boundaries and 34 maximums and has a strike rate of 195.01.
He has been dismissed 15 times and has a magnificent average of 44.33. Not only this, his singles and doubles towards the end add another dimension to the game. Kohli has taken 119 singles, and 51 doubles.
Also Read: T20 World Cup: Chris Gayle to McCullum, here's highest individual scores of mega event
How Kohli Fares vs Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik is a monster when it comes to closing games off. He is the designated finisher for the T20 World Cup. In 31 innings during the last 4 overs, Karthik has faced 184 deliveries and has scored 342 runs. He has hit 35 boundaries and 17 maximums and has a strike rate of 185.86.
He has been dismissed 12 times and averages 28.50. He falls behind Kohli as far as running between the wickets is concerned, with 72 singles and just 14 doubles towards the end.
The Bottom Line
Dinesh Karthik faces way fewer deliveries than Virat Kohli, and his stats in that regard are 2nd to no one. Both of them aren't in direct competition with each other, but Virat Kohli, who comes in at number three and has all the required tools and shots to make it count in the death overs.
Yes, he is the anchor, but if the team needs a Kohli that can finish things off, he is more than capable of doing so.
