Virat Kohli is no longer the best IPL batter. This statement isn’t shocking, but to say he’s not even among the best five batters in the league might be considered blasphemous by many. But for the last three years, Kohli has been an above-average player at best.
The new anchor concept
Virat Kohli may not even be among the best five Indian batters, despite holding the orange cap at the moment. Why? Because T20 cricket has evolved. His biggest skill was averaging over 40 and anchoring his team to an average total. That approach seems to be going extinct at the moment.
Since 2022, there have been five batters who can be considered ‘anchors’, and Kohli is not one of them. These batters have scored over 1000 runs in the last three years, averaged more than 30, and struck over 140. Even in these five, there seem to be two categories: players who average over 40 and strike in the 140s, and those who average in the 30s and strike over 150.
| Player | Span | Inns | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill | 2022-2024 | 39 | 1628 | 129 | 47.88 | 148.4 | 3 | 10 |
| Jos Buttler | 2022-2024 | 37 | 1505 | 116 | 45.6 | 146.11 | 6 | 8 |
| Faf du Plessis | 2022-2024 | 37 | 1430 | 96 | 40.85 | 144.15 | 0 | 13 |
| Sanju Samson | 2022-2024 | 38 | 1096 | 82* | 33.21 | 150.96 | 0 | 8 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 2022-2024 | 31 | 1004 | 124 | 33.46 | 152.35 | 1 | 7 |
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli, a victim of his own success?
Kohli has been replicating the same model for a decade. Start strong in the powerplay, take a backseat in the middle overs, and then start his fireworks at the death. That model seems to have become obsolete, but right now the star RCB batter is still hanging on to it. Players like Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, and Yashasvi Jaiswal have adopted a new ‘anchor’ model.
Not only are these players averaging over 30, but they are striking at over 140 as well. Of the two overseas players, one of them being his partner in crime, Faf du Plessis is the second-best batter in terms of runs scored, and that too at a healthy average and strike rate.
Suryakumar Yadav just missed the mark by 30 runs. His 970 runs have come at 40 while striking at 170. Kohli, in comparison, averages 41.9 with 1341 runs to his name. That should put him in fourth on the list, but his strike is just 134.63, which is 10 less than any batter on the list.
Given the amount of skill Virat Kohli has, no one would be shocked to see him on this list by the end of the IPL 2024 season. However, the fact is that he’s no longer the best. The young and old guns have passed him at his own game. He came back strong after his slump from 2020-2022. Will he do it again and once again crown himself as the best IPL batter?
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