Yearender 2022: A tumultuous year for Virat Kohli in Tests and ODIs, fantastic in T20 format

Today we shall take a look at how Virat Kohli fared in 2022 across all formats. The India batter scored a T20I and ODI hundred after a three-year gap, but has continued to misfire in test matches.

Virat Kohli Test Record in 2022:

Kohli’s 2022 started with a decent inning against South Africa in Cape Town. He scored 79 runs in the first innings with 12 fours and 1 six. But that’s been that for Kohli in terms of tests this year. His next highest in 2022 has been just 45 as Kohli struggled against Sri Lanka, England and Bangladesh. Kohli finished the year in dismal fashion, with just 45 runs across four innings against Bangladesh as India completed a 2-0 series win.

He also finished the year with his lowest test strike rate in a year since his debut and his third consecutive year without a test century. This was also Virat’s third least prolific year since his test debut in 2011.

Virat Kohli ODI Record in 2022:

It was another poor record for Kohli in the 50 overs format. The India batter struggled to find his touch in the ODIs and his numbers were not that encouraging. He scored a hundred in the final match of the year against Bangladesh, which elevated his stats a bit. But overall, it was another underwhelming calendar year for Kohli.

He started off with a couple of fifties against the Proteas in January, but then had a lean patch throughout the year against West Indies and England, scoring just 59 runs in 5 matches.

Virat Kohli T20I Record in 2022:

The shortest format of international cricket was the most prolific one for Kohli in 2022. He thrived in the T20 format and managed to rack up a lot of runs. Kohli looked most comfortable in the T20s and had a fantastic Asia Cup and then T20I World Cup for India. He got his maiden T20I hundred against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup, then batted through to give India an epic win over Pakistan in the T20I World Cup in Australia.

He finished the year with 8 fifties and 1 hundred in just 20 innings.

What Lies Next for Virat Kohli:

All in all, it was an underwhelming year for Virat. The prized asset of Indian cricket had a tumultuous time in the longest format of the game. He never looked assured in his technique and fell to all types of bowling. In the Bangladesh test series, his struggle with spin continued as he got dismissed twice by spinners. The ODI format was a bit better but still massively below par for Kohli standards. The only respite was the T20 matches, where he found his touch. Kohli’s Pakistan knock will be remembered for an eternity, not just because of the opponent and the stage, but because it remembered us of vintage Kohli. But these knocks were few and far between. He will be aiming to have a lot better year in 2023 as there is ample cricket ahead of him.