Virat Kohli became the highest run-scorer in Twenty20 World Cup history ashe powered India to 184-6 against Bangladesh in a key Super 12 match inAdelaide on Wednesday.
Kohli, who hit an unbeaten 64, and KL Rahul with a blazing 50 put on a keystand of 67 to lay the foundations of a strong total.
India need to win their remaining two matches to be certain of entry intothe semi-finals, but Bangladesh are also in the hunt for the knockout stage.
Kohli beat former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene’s total of 1,016runs in his 23rd innings in T20 World Cups. Jayawardene set his previousWorld Cup-leading mark off 31 innings.
The in-form Kohli, who had already hit two match-winning half-centuries atthis World Cup, reached his third fifty in 37 balls to bring alive theIndian-dominated crowd in Adelaide.
Taskin Ahmed kept India on the backfoot in a lethal opening burst of seamand swing bowling after Bangladesh elected to field first.
Indian fans had their hearts in their mouths when Taskin got Rohit Sharmato mistime a hit to deep backward square, but Hasan Mahmud dropped thecatch.
Skipper Rohit could not capitalise as Mahmud had his revenge in the nextover to get the opener out for two.
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Rahul had other ideas and shrugged off his poor form to take on the attackwith a flurry of boundaries and Kohli joined in from the other end.
Rahul, who had scored just 17 runs in the previous three matches, smashedtwo sixes and a four in a 24-run ninth over as the Indian run-rate soared.
He reached his fifty off Shakib Al Hasan but fell on the next ball from theleft-arm spinner.
There was no respite for the Bangladesh bowlers as Suryakumar Yadav joinedKohli to keep up the attack, nonchalantly hitting the ball to all parts ofthe ground.
Shakib struck again to cut short Yadav’s innings on 30 off 16 balls.-APP/AFP
