No cricket fanatic in the world can claim to be unaware of the current India captain's name. Born and brought up in the Indian capital city of New Delhi, Kohli emerged on the international radar after leading India to the title win at the ICC U19 World Cup in 2008. However, Kohli didn't exactly announce himself at the highest level till 2012 - four years after his debut - when in Australia he hit his maiden Test century (116) in Adelaide. By the end of that tour Kohli had also shown the world just how good a batsman he could become when his 86-ball-133 helped India chase down a mammoth 330 in less than 40 overs against Sri Lanka in the triangular series. Since then he hasn't looked back and has grown from strength to strength by proving his prowess all over the world. Having hit centuries on tough away tours Kohli improved his shorter format game several notches especially with the help of the IPL, where in 2016 he smacked a record 973 runs! A established chaser of totals, he has hundreds in all Test playing nations - except Bangladesh and Zimbabwe - where he has played just a single match. He is also a World Cup winner(2011) and was adjuged the Player of the Tournament at the 2014 ICC World T20. Being counted amongst the four great batsmen of the modern age along with Steven Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root, Kohli's meteoric rise over the past couple of years has seen him rise above everyone else in the art of batting. He is the only batsman yet to average more than 48 in all formats of the game and after his exploits in England in the summer of 2018, he has proved that he is the best batsman across the globe under any given conditions. For his exploits on the field he has also been awarded the country's highest sports honour - Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2018. But with the accolades there also have been questions regarding team selection and his aggressive mindset resulting in failures to win tough series overseas. The fact remains though that just like his runs, there are many more Indian victories to come under his leadership and only time will tell how great a legacy Captain Kohli will leave behind. But regarding his batting skills, it's safe to assume that the debate has been settled for now. There is only one Kohli and he sits right at the top.
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Washington Sundar continues to remain India's highest-ranked T20I bowler, having moved a spot up to 11th place with 614 points
In the format that presently matters the most, given that the next World T20 is less than 10 months, India fared the best, capping off their best calendar year and the best-ever registered by a full-member nation.
It was in the 11th over that Wade was rapped on the pads by a Natarajan delivery that straightened after pitching.
Kohli added that while Australia is a tough place to bat, especially against the quality home pace bowlers, the country also provides an opportunity for batsmen to score runs.
The 29-year-old from Tamil Nadu has been sensational since making his international debut in the third ODI at Canberra, snapping eight wickets in four matches.
Swepson is part of the Australia A squad that will take on India, in a three-day warm-up game, beginning Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
There had been calls for the inclusion of the all-rounder into the Test squad only as a pure batsman after the Baroda player showed an ability to bat deep and with patience in the One-day International series
The tour game against Australia A is due to begin in three days' time and will be India's final tune-up before the opening day-night Test in Adelaide from December 17.
Hosts India had already gained an unassailable 2-0 lead by winning the first two games of the T20I series.
Australia’s spin bowlers Maxwell (1-20), Mitch Swepson (3-23) and Adam Zampa (1-21) combined for the first five Indian wickets before paceman AJ Tye removed Kohli for 85 in the penultimate over to all but end India’s chase.
Earlier, Australia managed to post 186 runs on the scoreboard after Matthew Wade (80) and Glenn Maxwell (54) boosted their run-flow.
Kohli scored his fifty in 41 balls laced with just three boundaries. It was Kohli's first half-century in 363 days, the last one happening on December 11, 2019, against West Indies in Mumbai when he had scored an unbeaten 70.
Michael Vaughan has predicted big things for the Indian cricketer, saying that he could be the next "global superstar" from India after MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
The fans displayed 'We miss you Dhoni' banner during the second T20I, and Kohli, who was standing at the boundary line during the time, had a heartwarming response.
While Amitabh Bachchan's COVID19 confirmation tweet became the most quoted tweet of the year, South Indian superstar Vijay's selfie with his fans was the most retweeted. Also, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli's pregnancy announcement became the most liked, while late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's movie #DilBechara was the top movie hashtag in India for 2020.
After a couple of crushing defeats in the first two ODIs, the Indians have turned a corner starting with the final ODI in Canberra.
Kohli had led India to a 2-1 win in the 2018-19 Test series and followed that up with a 2-1 win in the ODI series.
Hardik, on Sunday, hammered two sixes in the final over bowled by Daniel Sams and steered India past the finishing line.
Australia's Steve Smith, with 911 points, kept his hold on the pole position in the batting charts ahead of Kohli and Williamson, who hit a match-winning double hundred against the West Indies in Hamilton.
In the post-match presentation, when Kohli was asked about that particular shot, he said that managed to surprise himself with that shot and said that he would like to get the reaction of De Villiers on that.
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