BANGALORE: The imperious Virat Kohli will be eyeing a fairytale ending Sunday to a record-breaking season when he leads the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League's final against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Kohli has been in the form of his life since the recent World Twenty20 where he was instrumental in taking India to the semi-finals before the hosts' heartbreaking loss to the West Indies.
The 27-year-old was named player of the tournament after scoring 273 runs in five matches at an average of 136.50, and he has again been in a class of his own in this edition of the IPL.
Kohli has shattered the previous best aggregate in a season by scoring 919 runs, including four centuries and six fifties.
Rated as the number one T20 batsman in the world, he has also gained kudos for his captaincy during Bangalore's rollercoaster ride to the final which is being played on their home ground.
After a disappointing start to the tournament left them bottom of the table at one stage, Kohli inspired them to a charge up the table and secure a second place finish.
He had a rare failure in Wednesday's final four eliminator when he was bowled for a duck but South African AB de Villiers stepped up to the plate with an unbeaten 79 which just saw Bangalore over the line.
Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar said that in a format where the ability to hit big sixes was once seen as the key to success, Kohli had prospered by playing good cricketing shots.
"He is a special talent and he works hard on his game," Tendulkar told Gulf News.
"His discipline and commitment has to be emulated. He visualises different formats without ever compromising on his technique.
"In addition, he is very strong mentally and thrives in pressure situations."
Kohli's sensational performances have taken some of the pressure off his controversial team-mate Chris Gayle.
Long regarded as T20 cricket's ultimate superstar, the big-hitting Jamaican has struggled for much of the tournament and only managed one half-century.
He also landed himself in hot water over a newspaper interview laced with sexual innuendo, only months after he clumsily tried to chat up an Australian TV interviewer live on air.
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