Virat Kohli's stat blast against Pakistan in T20Is: Is the Indian captain 'untested'?

Indian skipper Virat Kohli will be leading his side in yet another World Cup, this time in the T20 World Cup to be held in Dubai.  India has always relied on Kohli's magic to change the course of the match. The Indian captain has always put himself on the firing line often leading from the front.

Virat's duel against Pakistan next week will not be just another encounter, it is after all a World Cup match and everyone knows about India's record against Pakistan. Indian fans expect him to deliver one last magic number which can be replayed every time India meets Pakistan in a World Cup. Virat will face unimaginable pressure as he walks out to bat next Sunday, but can he deliver? Let's look back to look ahead.

India's captain has played 90 international T20 matches for India and has been a pillar of consistency with an average of 52 scoring 3,159 runs.

Virat's strike rate in T20 internationals is a prolific 139. The Indian skipper had made his T20 international debut back in 2010  at the Harare Sports Club against Zimbabwe. He stayed unbeaten in that match to help India beat Zimbabwe by 6 wickets.

India's champion batsman has hit 285 boundaries and 90 sixes in the shortest format of the game. Indian fans would be betting on their skipper to add to the sixes tally when the World T20 championships kick-off.

However, the big question is can Kohli the batsman deliver?

India's big match is due against Pakistan next Sunday on October 24 in Dubai. The high stakes game will no doubt bring back memories of all those heady encounters as skippers across generations in both countries rose and fell as their team won and lost.

Indian fans will be hoping for one last hurrah from their captain - a match winning knock to put it in their memory box to be displayed as valuable memorabilia whenever the next high octane encounter takes place against their favourite rival.

However, it can be said Virat is largely 'untested' against Pakistan having played just six matches in the T20Is. 

The last time Virat played against Pakistan was at the ICC World Twenty20 match in March 2016 at Kolkata. Virat's fans would remember that match after all he played a match-winning unbeaten 55 to guide India to victory along with MS Dhoni who remained unbeaten on 13.

Virat's superlative innings studded with seven boundaries and a six shut out Pakistan even as their pace machine headed by Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan & Sami failed to deliver.

Skipper Afridi tried to put the brakes on India but was thwarted by the Virat-Yuraj duo as India cruised to victory in just 15.5 overs.

It was low scoring match in which Pakistan set India a target of just 119 after wet conditions led to the match being curtailed to 18 overs.

Virat Kohli was in prime form after India wobbled at the start having lost three quick wickets but Kohli and Yuvraj Singh stitched a stable match-winning partnership. Yuvraj whipped 24 with one six and one boundary in 23 balls as India cruised to victory.

Dhoni came in later to close the match staying unbeaten on 13 with Virat as fans inside the stadium at Kolkata danced their way to yet another famous victory. India kept their unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups but the question now lurks again - will Virat's India be able to keep a clean sheet in Dubai?

Although Virat has a formidable average of 84 against Pakistan in T20 internationals against Pakistan with the highest of 78 scored in the first match against them back in 2012 at Colombo, but the fact that he has played just six matches so far may count against him in the final analysis.

The other less inspiring innings against Pakistan include 9 runs at Bengaluru in 2012, 27 at Ahmedabad also in the same year.

In fact, Virat faced Pakistan thrice in 2012 in three different venues at home and abroad. Virat then played just three matches spread over the next four years leading up to the match at Kolkata in 2016 while meeting Pakistan twice in that year.

Virat's formidable quality as a "gamechanger" cannot be denied. The Delhi boy has blasted 30 boundaries and four sixes against Pakistan and scored two half-centuries with a strike rate of 118.

Interestingly, India beat Pakistan by eight wickets at Colombo in 2012 as Virat slammed 78 fired eight boundaries and two sixes in the crucial ICC T20 World Cup. Kohli was naturally declared the man of the match - can Indian fans expect a similar show this time?

In December 2012 when India met Pakistan in a T20 international match, Virat failed scoring just 9 as India lost the match by 5 wickets at Bengaluru.

India won the next encounter at Ahmedabad narrowly by 11 runs as Virat hit 27, although his innings was cut short as he was runout but it turned out to be a happy ending for the home team.

India once again enjoyed an upper hand against their neighbour in the Dhaka World T20 match in 2014 beating them by 7 wickets as Virat stayed unbeaten on 36 to guide India to 131/3.

Two years later, Virat's bat once again vanquished Pakistan as he hit 49 in just 51 balls including 7 boundaries to bury Pakistan in a low scoring encounter as India needed just 84 to win. India romped to victory by 5 wickets with 27 balls to spare.

Virat has so far scored 254 runs against Pakistan in T20Is in 6 matches with 30 boundaries and four sixes.

Indian fans will hope he can add another 100 runs to his tally next week.