NEW DELHI: Star batter Virat Kohli on Saturday showed why he is the big match player as he shrugged off poor form to score a solid 59-ball 76 in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa in Barbados.

Putting behind a series of low scores, Kohli brought up his maiden half-century at this year’s cricketing extravaganza off 48 balls after India got off to a shaky start in the finale against a solid Proteas attack.

With the solid effort, the India opener equalled Pakistan’s Babar Azam record for most fifties in a career in T20Is.

Kohli’s first half-century in 10 outings helped him equal Babar’s record of 39 half-centuries in the format.

After Kohli and Babar, India’s Rohit Sharma is the third on the list with 37 T20I fifties.

Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan (30) and Australia’s now-retired David Warner (29) occupy fourth and fifth spot respectively on the list.

It was also Kohli’s second 50-plus score against the Proteas in T20 World Cup knock-outs after his 44-ball 72 not out in the 2014 semi-final.

Kohli’s solid 76 and Axar Patel’s gutsy 31-ball 47 took India to 176 for 7 in the final against South Africa.

Earlier India skipper Rohit won the toss and opted to bat first at the Kensington Oval.

India lost three wickets inside the powerplay but Kohli added a couple of fifty-plus partnerships with Axar and Shivam Dube (27), taking India to a competitive total.

For South Africa, Keshav Maharaj and Anrich Nortje picked up a couple of wickets each.