Never before has Indian cricket had such an assured presence while chasing targets. MS Dhoni's explosiveness in the final overs changed the landscape of white-ball cricket in India, but the side needed someone who could display that at the top of the order and get big scores regularly. Virat Kohli stepped into those shoes with ease.
Previously, there were designated roles assigned to the Indian batsmen: Virender Sehwag was assigned to score quick runs, Sachin Tendulkar to get a big score, Rahul Dravid to lend support and consolidate, and Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh lower down the order were handed the task of taking the team over the line. Sometimes, these roles interchanged between the aforementioned players. With Kohli, India got someone who possessed the best qualities of the aforementioned yesteryear stars of India.
82 not out from 51 balls vs Australia (2016 World T20) at Mohali
A semi-final berth was at stake and India needed to score at nearly 12 runs an over in the final five overs to chase down Australia's score of 160. India were struggling with Shane Watson's slippery pace, and the task at hand looked daunting even by Kohli's lofty standards. The only hope for India was is that the Delhi batsman had settled in, and that Dhoni was at the other end.
Kohli was a step ahead of the bowlers. It is hard to even imagine how a batsman is this clear-headed with the sheer amount of expectations riding on his shoulders. Yet again, he showed that there are few substitutes in cricket than playing with a straight bat. Kohli's intuitive ability in piercing the gaps in the field has few parallels in the game.
Kohli once again showed that there is him, plenty of daylight, and the rest. The same can be said about his chasing prowess too.
