Edited By: Aditya Maheshwari
Last Updated: January 15, 2023, 6:56 PM IST
Thiruvananthapuram [Trivandrum]India
Virat Kohli continues his impressive form with the bat (AP Image)
It was Kohli’s second century of the series and it seems like normalcy finally returned in Indian cricket.
Batting maestro Virat Kohli scored a magnificent 166-run* knock on Sunday to help India post a mammoth 390/5 against Sri Lanka in third and final ODI. The 34-year-old was at his best as he scored 13 fours and 8 sixes during his 110-run knock. It was a well-crafted knock where Kohli stamped his authority over his favourites opponent Sri Lanka once again to score his 10th ODI century against them.
Kohli was off to a brisk start when India lost the wicket of Rohit Sharma after a solid opening stand. The 34-year-old scored boundaries at will at the start of the innings and then took the anchor’s role when Shubman Gill took the charge over bowlers. He also shared a 131-run partnership with Gill, who was stylish in his 116 off 97 balls, hitting 14 fours and two sixes. Kohli switched gears after scoring his century as he reached the 150-run mark in quick time.
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After Gill’s departure, Kohli also shared a crucial 108-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer. During the stand, Kohli took charge and unleashed carnage on Sri Lanka bowlers, making them look clueless and toothless. Slower deliveries were being dispatched for boundaries and Kohli came down the pitch to get his runs in the quick clip. There was quick running between the wickets which added more fluency to his century number 46 in ODIs bringing off only 85 balls.
In the last ten overs, he fetched 84 out of the 116 runs India scored to put Sri Lanka on the backfoot.
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It was Kohli’s second century of the series and it seems like normalcy finally returned in Indian cricket. The cricket fraternity and fans were highly impressed with Kohli’s masterclass.
Lovely line from Harsha on Virat Kohli’s 46 ODI century: “The king is back to doing what he does best, scoring hundreds”.— Ian Raphael Bishop (@irbishi) January 15, 2023
Technically VK is 3 hundreds short of overtaking SRT’s 49 in the 50-over format. But at an avg of 57.4 after 267 matches across 14 years, there’s no debate at least in my mind any longer.In ODIs — He’s well & truly the king already. From here, only longevity is a question.
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— KSR (@KShriniwasRao) January 15, 2023
What a show by Virat Kohli – 166* in just 110 balls with 13 fours and 8 sixes. A dominating innings, what a player.Take a bow, King Kohli! pic.twitter.com/ATx8660DrH
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 15, 2023
Though Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav and K.L Rahul fell, there was no stopping Kohli, who was lofting, driving, flicking, and then got his 150 with a six whacked over deep mid-wicket off Kumara in the final over. He applied the finishing touches to mammoth innings with a pull and dab going for four and six respectively as India got 116 runs in the last ten overs.
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