India too dependent on Kohli in ODIs?

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Virat Kohli during the third ODI against New Zealand

    Virat Kohli is one of the most dangerous batsmen in world cricket and lifts his game significantly while chasing.

    In chases alone, he has scored 16 centuries, out of which 14 have led to an Indian victory. In successful chases, Kohli’s numbers are even more astronomical; 3500 runs in 62 matches at an average of 90.

    But is the team too reliant on Kohli when it comes to chasing?

    To answer this question, we need to look at all India’s ODI chases when Kohli has been part of the team.

    Then, we can compare the team’s performance in two scenarios:

    Kohli while chasing in ODIs

    • Innings: 94
    • Runs: 4656
    • Average: 63.78
    • Strike Rate: 93.13

    i) when Kohli scores 30 runs or more;

    ii) when Kohli scores less than 30 runs.

    The former can be considered as a ‘success’, the latter a ‘failure’.

    In the 174 matches Kohli has played in so far, he’s been part of 98 chases, out of which 62 have resulted in victory. Essentially, with Kohli in the team, India have successfully won 63% of their chases.

    This number, though, impressive as it may look, hardly tells us anything because it doesn’t define his role in these chases. For reference, the corresponding number for Australia’s Glenn McGrath is 70%.

    Out of the 98 chases Kohli’s been a part of, he’s scored less than 30 on 43 occasions. On those 43 occasions, India have won 22 matches. This means in Kohli’s ‘failures’ as a batsman, India’s chasing success rate is about 51%, therefore a dip of 12% compared to the overall chases.

    In the 55 occasions Kohli has ‘succeeded’ (i.e. score of 30 or above), India have won on 40 instances. This equates to about 73% of matches, therefore an increase of 11% from the base.

    The essence of this analysis is, if Kohli reaches a score of 30, India’s chances of winning a chase improve from 51% to 73%, a staggering increase of 22%.

    It’s clear that Kohli has shown himself to be a vital cog in India’s success as a chasing team. Most of India’s iconic chases over the last six years have had Kohli at the centre, be it chasing 320 in 40 overs against Sri Lanka, or chasing back-to-back 350+ scores against Australia in 2013.

    The Delhi batsman’s ability to keep the required run-rate under control and effortlessly find boundaries makes him one of the most glittering players in the game.

    Although without him, India’s chasing record isn’t completely abysmal, the Men in Blue do rely a lot on Kohli to win while chasing.

    Recommended