A detailed look into why Virat Kohli is cricket’s ultimate Chase Master

One of the most challenging things in cricket is pulling off a successful run chase. Batting second always comes with added pressure and when a team has their back against the wall in a run chase, it only makes a difficult task even more challenging.

Most teams aren’t able to withstand the pressure of a run chase and many great players from the past have also buckled under the pressure of chasing daunting totals.

It is one of the main reasons why teams tend to prefer to bat first, especially in big games like knockouts and finals.

The scoreboard pressure is capable of getting the better of the best of players. Perhaps it’s the burden of expectation or the psychology of knowing that there’s hardly any room for error.

Having said that, there are some cricketers who seemed to have cracked to code and mastered the art of a run chase.

The likes of Michael Bevan, Mike Hussey, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni, and Misbah Ul Haq can all be credited with creating a blueprint for how to go about chasing down a target successfully.

While they may not have always been successful, these players did enjoy a fair amount of success in run chases.

However, if we were to pick one individual who stands a class apart when it comes to chasing a target, that would have to be the new God of Cricket Virat Kohli.

Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest chasers the sport has ever produced, Virat Kohli is undoubtedly the Chase Master in Cricket and has scored a stunning 42 hundreds - 26 in ODIs and 16 in Tests - while batting second in international cricket.

Here, we have a closer look at Virat Kohli’s stats while batting second and chasing down a target set by the opposition.

Master of Chase in Cricket

Virat Kohli Overal Chase Record

Virat Kohli is the only player who has played a substantial amount of international matches to be averaging above 60 across all formats.

To put things into context, Sachin Tendulkar who has the most runs (14,422) in chases averages 46.52 in all formats.

Kohli also has more centuries than the God of Cricket Sachin Tendulkar in chases. While Tendulkar has 35 tons, Kohli has 41 centuries and counting in chases.

Virat Kohli ODI Chase Record

The greatest chase master to ever play the game, Virat Kohli’s record while batting second in ODIs is unmatched. 

He has registered a whopping 26 centuries as well as 36 fifties while chasing and averages above 60 in such scenarios.

Some of his more memorable knocks while chasing includes his highest score of 183 against Pakistan. His 52-ball 100 and 66-ball 115 against Australia in India are a couple more of his tons while chasing that stand out.

During the 93 successful run chases that Kohli has been a part of in ODIs, he has registered 22 tons and just as many fifties.

Virat Kohli T20I Chase Record

Virat Kohli’s record in T20Is also makes for impressive reading. Even though he hasn’t scored a century in 20-over international chases, Kohli has notched up 20 fifties while batting second in the format.

His average of 70-plus when chasing is also unrivalled and he has a high score of 94 not out off 50 balls against West Indies while batting second.

In the 39 successful run chases that Kohli has been a part of in T20Is, he is averaging 90 and has made 16 fifties in that time.

Virat Kohli T20I Indian T20 League Chase Record

The swashbuckling right-hander’s Indian T20 League record in chases isn’t as impressive as his stats T20Is but it’s not exactly bad either.

His average is close to the 40s having made over 3,000 runs while batting second in the league. Kohli also has 20 fifties and two tons during chases in the Indian T20 League.

Photo credit: Alamy