In 2022, Virat Kohli became the first batter to score 4000 runs in T20I cricket. And 75 percent of those runs came while batting at No. 3 — Kohli’s preferred batting slot.
The right-hand batter was an invincible force at No. 3 for India. If an early wicket fell, he would anchor and then shift his gears to propel India to a good score.
When it came to chasing, there was no one better than Kohli. His calm, composed approach saw India home many times, as he found runs with ease.
After the 2024 T20 World Cup win, Kohli bowed out as one of India’s highest run-getters in T20I cricket.
On that note, let’s look at Virat Kohli’s T20I stats by batting position.
Virat Kohli T20I Batting Stats by Position
Batting Position | Inns | Runs | Avg | SR | HS | 100s/50s | Not Outs | Ducks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opener | 17 | 551 | 36.73 | 144.24 | 122* | 1/3 | 2 | 2 |
No. 3 | 80 | 3076 | 53.96 | 135.26 | 94* | 0/32 | 23 | 4 |
No. 4 | 17 | 509 | 42.41 | 141.38 | 77* | 0/3 | 5 | 3 |
No. 5 | 1 | 26 | – | 123.80 | 26* | 0/0 | 1 | 0 |
No.6 | 2 | 26 | 13.00 | 136.84 | 26 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 |
Overall | 117 | 4188 | 48.69 | 137.04 | 122* | 1/38 | 31 | 7 |
Key Insights
Virat Kohli is the only batter to score 3000-plus runs at No. 3 in T20I cricket. Dawid Malan, who has announced his retirement from international cricket, is the only other batter to accumulate more than 1500 runs in that position.
1735 of 3076 runs have come while chasing targets, with 1502 coming in successful run chases.
Kohli’s 32 fifties are also the most at the No. 3 slot. 24 of them came in winning causes along with 2269 runs, again the most in that position.
The right-hand batter is the only one to remain not out in more than 20 innings while batting at No. 3.
Kohli smashed his only T20I century while batting as an opener, a position in which he batted only 17 times. He smashed his career-high score of an unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan in 2022. Find out Virat’s Test and ODI Centuries list here.
Kohli has also amassed the most runs at No. 3 in T20 World Cup history. He scored 1132 runs in 24 innings, and he is the only one to surpass the 1000 mark. Kohli’s 14 fifty-plus scores are also the most, with no other No. 3 batter even scoring five in the tournament.