Virat Kohli found himself dismissed in the 90s against New Zealand on Sunday, reigniting the familiar “nervous 90s” debate. Kohli was out for 93, marking the 12th time in his international career that he has fallen short of a century after crossing the 90-run mark.
While such dismissals often draw immediate parallels with the great Sachin Tendulkar, a closer look at the numbers reveals a very different story, one that places Kohli ahead of most of the greats of international cricket.
Kohli’s 90s Record in Context
Kohli’s 12 dismissals in the 90s may sound significant, but they pale in comparison to some of the legends of the game. Sachin Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of the greatest batters in cricket history, was dismissed 28 times in the 90s during his international career, despite scoring an unmatched 100 international centuries.
This context is crucial. Reaching the 90s frequently is, in itself, a marker of consistency and longevity at the highest level.
The Conversion Rate That Sets Kohli Apart
Where Kohli truly stands out is in his conversion rate from 90 to 100. Of the times Kohli has crossed the 90-run mark, he has gone on to score a century seven out of eight times. That is a conversion rate unmatched by any other batter in international cricket.
When compared with other greats who feature high on the list of 90s dismissals, including Kane Williamson, AB de Villiers, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting and Inzamam-ul-Haq, Kohli’s numbers remain superior.
Among this elite group, only Ponting and Kallis come close to Kohli’s efficiency in converting starts into centuries, yet even they fall short of Kohli's remarkable conversion rate. Why the ‘Nervous 90s’ Label Misses the Point
Being dismissed in the 90s is often framed as a psychological weakness, but the data suggests otherwise. The ability to repeatedly reach the 90s requires elite skill, temperament and consistency. Kohli’s record indicates that once he gets close to a century, he is more likely than not to reach the milestone.
While missing out on a hundred at 93 will always sting, the broader picture is clear. Virat Kohli remains one of the most reliable century-makers the game has ever seen, and his numbers in the 90s only reinforce his standing among cricket’s all-time greats.
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