The Reverse Sweep

We're running out of superlatives for Virat Kohli

We've already called him the best young batsman in world cricket, the heir apparent to the great Sachin Tendulkar and along with Hashim Amla and MS Dhoni the best batsman currently playing one day international cricket.

But having produced yet another masterpiece of which Rembrandt, Picasso or perhaps more aptly the spiky Jackson Pollock would be proud, we've run out of superlatives to describe Virat Kohli's batting.

Not content with playing one of the best knocks witnessed in one day international cricket in Hobart just three short weeks ago, Kohli repeated the trick in Mirpur yesterday with a staggering 183 off just 148 balls against India's bitterest rivals in a must-win game.

Kohli has now stroked three hundreds in his last four one day innings and in two of those has helped India chase 320 in Hobart and now 330 against as decent a bowling unit as Pakistan. This takes his career average in ODI run chases to 58.40 in 48 innings with seven hundreds and 13 fifties. That makes him nearly as effective at chasing as Usain Bolt.

If we take Ryan ten Doeschate out of the equation as most of his runs have come against fellow Associate sides, Kohli is also one of only four batsmen in history to average over 50 in ODI cricket. Amla (56.49) and Dhoni (51.70) are two of these and the other is that other master of the run chase Michael Bevan (53.58). That Kohli doesn't look out of place in that company says everything.

In terms of humility, losing the crassness and growing up, Kohli has a long way to go before he can be compared to the humble Tendulkar and United Nations Secretary General in waiting Rahul Dravid.

Kohli is too spiky, too prickly and far too obnoxious to ever probably do that, but in terms of his batmanship, India have a ready made replacement for Dravid at number three in the Test XI and a new champion to try and emulate some of what Tendulkar has achieved.

But as far as superlatives go, we've run out of those.

Where next?

Virat Kohli's starter for ten

Virat Kohli points the way forward for India

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MS Dhoni fails (well kind of) in a ODI run chase

For pretty much every other batsman in world cricket, hitting a three off the final ball of a ODI from a bowler of the calibre of Lasith Malinga to earn your side a tie would count as a pretty reasonable day in the office. For Mahendra Singh Dhoni it counts as a rare failure.

We’ve written about Dhoni’s clinical finishing ability before – a point he proved once again in India’s nailbiting win against Australia at the same Adelaide Oval just two days ago.

In one day internationals that India have won when batting second, Dhoni has amassed 1993 runs at a quite staggering average of 104.89 with a strike rate of 90. He has been unbowed and undefeated at the conclusion in 30 out of 49 matches. How Fernando Torres must wish he could finish like the cucumber cool Indian skipper. Some compare Dhoni to Michael Bevan, but that is only true if you add the bells of Big Ben on.

His captaincy at Test level may have gone to pot, but when it comes to keeping your nerve in blue pyjamas whilst chaos reigns around you, Dhoni is untouchable.

Where next?

Mahendra Singh Dhoni - A born leader

Cricket memories of 2011: MS Dhoni wins the World Cup with a six

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Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep