It was a show of strength, it was a spectacle of class and an everlasting impression on teams across the world that India’s prolific top order can tear you apart and leave you in a world of pain if allowed to free their arms. What ensued was KL Rahul’s blistering knock of 91 and Rohit Sharma’s 34-ball 71 which proved enough to propel India towards a huge score.

However, the highlight of the night was Virat Kohli’s 21-ball 50 which the Indian skipper turned into an unbeaten 70 by the end of the match. Coming in at number four, Kohli was the leading run-scorer in T20 internationals but Sharma’s knock had taken him ahead for a while until Kohli started smacking the ball around like a man on a mission. 

It was an exhibition of pure power-packed stroke-play that garnered praises from Sir Vivian Richards and veteran commentator, Harsha Bhogle. The duo of Sharma and Kohli were unstoppable with both hitting a total of 12 sixes in the innings which included a last-ball six by the Indian captain.

By the end of the Indian innings, both had added a new feather to their crown journey by becoming the joint highest run-scorers in the shortest format of the game. 

The pair stand at 2633 runs each with a slight difference in a couple of statistics. Kohli had taken fewer matches to reach this milestone, accomplishing the feat in 75 matches with an impeccable average of 52.66 while his compatriot has taken 104 matches to earn this honour.

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However, both share a reliable partnership on the field and given the record, it surely is a moment of pride for Indian cricket as their two most beloved players are at the helm of the T20I genre. India will now play Windies in a three-match ODI series starting from December 15.   

Feature image courtesy: AFP/ Dibyangshu Sarkar

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IndiaWest IndiesRohit SharmaVirat KohliKL RahulIndia vs West Indies