Australia is Virat Kohli’s theatre of dreams!

Therersquos something about the T20 World Cup that energises Virat Kohli Therersquos something about playing in Australia that brings out the best in him So when the T20 World Cup is being staged in Australia how can Virat Kohli not be in the thick of thingsAlso Read Matthew Wade Hopefully it doesnrsquot cost usGrinning and winningThe other night Kohli admitted that the moment it was announced that the T20 World Cup would be held in Australia he was grinning from ear to ear Why wouldnrsquot he After all it was in Australia that he got his first Test century in 2012 it was in this country that he smacked four tons in as many Tests in 201415 and he was at the helm of affairs when India ended a 71year wait to secure their first Test series triumph Down Under in 201819The T20 World Cup has been the theatre of his dreams A nonetooimpressive 185 runs in his maiden appearance in Sri Lanka in 2012 was backed up by a competitionhigh 319 runs in the next edition in Bangladesh in 2014 Despite finishing as only the second highest scorer two years later in India Kohli was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for the second time running the only player thus far to earn that honourIn this edition Kohli has been in subliminal touch so much so that itrsquos hard to imagine that it was the same batsman who was under so much extraneous and internal pressure until twoandahalf months back Clearly the oneandahalf month away from the game in JulyAugust has helped him rediscover his mojo passion and intensity nonnegotiables in whose absence Kohlirsquos free spirit goes missingAlso Read Watson Kohli is a freak and his T20 World Cup statistics are super freakishSuperb statsThree halfcenturies in four matches dismissed just once an average of 220 a strikerate of 14473 These are extraordinary numbers on tricky surfaces put in perspective by the returns of openers Rohit Sharma 74 runs strikerate 10882 and KL Rahul 72 10909 Kohli has invariably had to walk in early and steady the ship the situation and the conditions forcing him to return to an avatar that sits most lightly on him ndash build an innings gradually and cut loose towards the end In that endeavour he has been matched for impact by Suryakumar Yadav whose explosive 164 runs have come at a breathtaking strike rate of 18021 but who has been emboldened by the presence at the other end of the maestro with whom he has struck up such a wonderful batting relationshipKohli has the not unfounded reputation of being a master chaser but he has delivered the goods batting first too not least against Bangladesh when he allowed Rahul and Suryakumar to hog the limelight during two crucial alliances and then changed gears effortlessly He may no longer be the captain but Kohlirsquos leadership status is very much intact of that there is little doubtVirat Kohlirsquos performance at this T2O World Cup03Halfcenturies220Batting average14473Strike rate