T20 WC 2022: Kohli’s 82* against Pakistan & Surya’s 68 versus SA among Top 5 bravest innings

T20 World Cup 2022: Virat Kohli’s 82* against Pakistan & Suryakumar Yadav’s 68 versus South Africa among the Top five bravest innings played in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 so far.

Virat scored 82 off 53 balls against Pakistan in World Cup opener (Photo: ©ICC via Getty)

The Super 12 stage of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia concluded on November 6 with the game between India and Zimbabwe in Melbourne, and in the 42 games so far including the first round, the spectators have been witness to some splendid and brave knocks that have made a huge impact during the course of the tournament.

The bravest innings out of these splendid ones have come when the respective teams were put under tremendous pressure and the players thanks to their unbelievable self-belief have carried the team on their lone shoulders.

To put things in a certain and easy manner, let’s take a look at the top five of the bravest innings played in the T20 World Cup 2022 so far.

Virat Kohli received POTM for his fantastic 82 off 53 (Photo: ©ICC/Getty Images)

1. IND vs PAK, MCG: A Kohli masterclass in Melbourne shook millions of fans from slumber

The stage was set - India were playing their first game of T20 World Cup 2022, and that too against arch-rivals Pakistan and to make the atmosphere more special, they had almost one lakh fans from both countries chanting the players’ names.

Put in to bat first, Pakistan set India a target of 160 to chase. And not long into the chase. The Pakistan bowlers blew away India’s top-order to reduce the latter to 31/4 in the seventh over, as Hardik Pandya joined Virat Kohli who was on 5 in 9 balls at that moment. Till the 11th over, the duo somehow took India’s score to 54/4, before Pandya decided to break jail with couple of huge sixes. Kohli too joined the party with a six flamed over long-on against Mohammad Nawaz.

Even after couple of more boundaries - one against Shaheen Shah Afridi glanced past the short fine fielder and the other one smacked off Shadab Khan over the deep cover region - Kohli was still struggling with timing as he reached 46 in 42 balls.

Cut to the end of the 17th over of the second innings of Match 16, the equation raised up to 48 needed by India in the last three overs which were expected to be bowled by the two express pacers – Afridi & Haris Rauf - and spinner Nawaz.

The first ball of the 18th over bowled by Afridi was pulled to the right of deep mid-wicket for a boundary, before lifting the third ball over extra-cover for the same result; Kohli pulled the last ball over short fine for the third boundary of the over. Meanwhile, Kohli reached his fourth fifty against Pakistan in T20 WCs.

Haris Rauf bowled the next over and gave away just three runs in his first four balls, before experiencing Kohli masterclass; Virat backed away and slammed a length ball down the ground for a six over long-on, before flicking away the next ball to the left of fine leg for another maximum; and everything was happening when pressure was at its highest peak.

When Nawaz came for the last over, Kohli swung his willow to nail a full toss for a six before, running three runs off a no ball that kept on rolling after hitting the stumps; everything showed his presence of mind as with his unbeaten 82 runs in 53 balls arranged with six boundaries and four sixes, Kohli carried India to victory by 4 wickets, almost single-handedly.

“Standing here, I just feel like it was meant to be,” Kohli expressed in the post-match presentation. “I will count this one higher than Mohali against Australia (in the 2016 T20 World Cup).”

Read More: T20 World Cup 2022, Group 2, IND vs PAK: Kohli's unbelievable 82* bamboozles Pakistan; India win

Glenn Phillips scored 104 against Sri Lanka at Sydney (Source: ©ICC via Getty Images)

2. NZ vs SL, Sydney: Glenn Phillips carnival blew away Sri Lanka

After a heavy win over Australia to kick off their tournament on a high, New Zealand found themselves struggling at 7/2 in the third over against the spin attack of Sri Lanka in Sydney, as Glenn Phillips made his way into the middle. A little later, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson also made his way back to the pavilion with his side at 15/3 at the end of 4 overs.

A situation which could be demanding to say the least, but not for 25-year-old Phillips, as he flayed a short ball from Kasun Ranjitha backward of square for a boundary before pulling another short ball for the same result. With a cracking six against Chamika Karunaratne over long leg, Phillips was taking New Zealand to a comfortable position.

With a boundary slogged in the vacant place between deep mid-wicket and long-on region, Phillips reached a well-deserved fifty in 38 balls. He thumped Wanindu Hasaranga over cover for a boundary before drilling Lahiru Kumara over long-on for a six. He nailed two more sixes against Maheesh Theekshana; one was lofted wide of long-off while the second one was launched over long-on. Soon, with a boundary, Glenn Phillips enjoyed his second T20I century in 61 balls becoming just the second Kiwi batter after Brendon McCullum to register a hundred in T20 WCs.

Along with all those boundaries and over-boundaries, Phillips was outstanding in the running between the wickets to keep the scoreboard going. As a result of the Phillips show, the Blackcaps posted a decent total of 167/7 and earned an easy victory by 65 runs.

Read More: T20 World Cup 2022, Gr 1, NZ v SL: Phillips 104, Boult 4-13 help New Zealand maintain pole position

Williams' 1-10 & 64 off 42 went in vain Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe (Source: ©ICC via Getty Images)

3. BAN vs ZIM, Brisbane: Sean Williams almost carried Zimbabwe over the line

Zimbabwe were running high on confidence after their narrow last-ball victory against Pakistan as they were up against Bangladesh in a vital game that could have helped them sail forward in the tournament. Batting first, Bangladesh somehow reached 150/7 to keep themselves in the game.

Zimbabwe lost two early wickets to see themselves 17/2 in three overs, when Sean Williams made his way into the middle. He began with two beautiful boundaries against Mosaddek Hossain; the first one was muscled wide of mid-on while the following delivery was pulled in the same region. Zimbabwe lost two more wickets and the body blow was when they saw their rescue man Sikandar Raza walking back after registering a three-ball duck. Williams then swept Shakib Al Hasan to the left of deep mid-wicket before pulling Hasan Mahmud over deep mid-wicket for another boundary.

Williams kept on losing partners from the other end as he decided to nail Taskin Ahmed between backward point and third man for another boundary to celebrate his fifty in just 36 balls. Mahmud was belted by Williams for couple of more boundaries; the best part was that Williams smashed the ball in the manner of slamming a tennis shot through mid-wicket.

In trying to snatch a single, Williams was dismissed thanks to an excellent one hand throw from Shakib. Williams with his 42-ball 64 that was studded with eight boundaries, almost erased the three-run margin, which Zimbabwe fell short by in a really close game.

Read More: T20 World Cup 2022, Gr 2, ZIM v BAN: Taskin 3-19 helps Bangladesh win; Zimbabwe fielding major worry

Surya scored 68 off 40 balls against South Africa at Perth (Source: ©ICC/Getty Images)

4. IND vs SA, Perth: Suryakumar Yadav looked in his own zone against firing Proteas

After two successive victories against Pakistan and Netherlands, India found themselves under the hammer against the pace and bounce generated by South Africa’s pacers, as they were reduced to 26/2 in five overs when Suryakumar Yadav made his way into the middle. Soon, India went down further to be placed at 51/5 in nine overs.

None of these destructive events at the other end, seemed to create issues for Suryakumar Yadav who got his first lucky boundary flying over the slip fielder. He used the pace of Anrich Nortje to whip it backward of square for a six before cutting Keshav Maharaj behind point for a boundary. He used his feet to drill Maharaj over his head for another six, before helping a short of length delivery over fine leg region for a maximum.

With a boundary driven straight like an arrow, Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged the crowd with a fifty in just 29 balls. He kept on smacking Maharaj and produced two more boundaries - the first one was cut late that beat the short third man fielder, while the next one was swept over short fine.

When SKY was dismissed on 68 in 40 deliveries, studded with six boundaries and three sixes, India were 127/8 in the 19th over and they eventually made 133/9. This meant that in the final analysis, 51.13 per cent of India’s runs came from the bat of Suryakumar Yadav. Even though India lost the match, SKY’s innings kept India in the game till the last over.

Read More: T20 World Cup 2022, Gr 2, IND v SA: Parnell-Ngidi's combined 7-44 hurts India; SA leapfrog to no 1

Tucker's 71 off 48 went in vain as Australia beat Ireland (Source: ©Getty Images)

5. AUS vs IRE, Brisbane: Lorcan Tucker shined with a blistering unbeaten 71 runs

Ireland fresh from their fortunate victory over neighbours England, hoped to surprise Australia too in their next group game. Put in to bat first, the hosts managed to score 179/5 in their 20 overs, before blowing the top five of Ireland for just 25 runs in four overs.

But Lorcan Tucker was in the zone; using his feet, he smashed Pat Cummins for a huge boundary over mid-on, before flicking a length ball off Mitchell Starc through mid-wicket for a rollicking boundary. He ended the powerplay with a boundary through the third man region.

Wickets were falling from the other end, but Tucker was collecting those boundaries as he nailed a pull past the mid-wicket region, before slicing Cummins over cover-point for a boundary. He celebrated his fifty in just 40 balls before managing three boundaries against Mitchell Starc; the first one was lapped over the keeper’s head, while the other two were smashed over mid-off.

In the end, Tucker remained unbeaten on 71 in just 48 balls with the help of nine boundaries and one solitary six, as he lost his partners at the other end. Tucker scored 51.82 pc of Ireland’s runs in the final analysis.

The first semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022 will be played between New Zealand and Pakistan on November 9 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney; while the second semi-final will be played between India and England the following day at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide.

The winners of both the games will meet in the tournament final on November 10 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne.

Read More: T20 World Cup 2022, Gr 1, AUS v IRE: Australia rise to 2nd place with 1 game left; NRR still -ve