Playing his first match of 2023, Virat Kohli had a great start to his new year with a brilliant knock against Sri Lanka. After their success in the T20I series, India is playing the first ODI at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
The match of to a great start with Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma putting on a great start. However, it was the former Indian Captain Virat that did most of the damage to the visitors’ bowling attack. The star cricketer looked at his absolute best in the game as he went on to score his 45th ODI and 73rd international century.
Virat reached his hundred with a single in the 47th over of the innings and jumped in the air to celebrate this incredible feat. This was also his 9th hundred against Sri Lanka, going past Sachin Tendulkar’s previous best of 8.
He scored 113 runs in just 87 balls, with the help of 12 boundaries and a six. He played with a strike rate of close to 130 in the game and had a bit of luck as he was dropped twice in the innings. The 34-year-old was finally dismissed by Kasun Rajitha in the 49th over of the match.
In the end, India managed to score 473/7 in the first innings. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill also had a great outing as they put on a 143-run opening stand. Gill played a steady knock and managed to score 70 runs in 60 balls, with 11 boundaries.
On the other hand, the Indian skipper wreaked havoc right from the word go. He played a quick knock and went on to score 83 runs in 67 balls, with nine boundaries and as many as three boundaries.
In the meantime, Twitter erupted with praises for the former Indian captain. “100 for king Kohli!! Is there a better sight than Kohli’s century in cricket??” a fan wondered. “The King. The conqueror. The legend. King Kohli!” another user wrote.
Here is how Twitter reacted to Virat Kohli
What A Player
Congratulation #KingKohli
73rd ??#INDvsSL #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/Nra6lrkrEh— ?????? ?? (@OsmKrishh) January 10, 2023
Back to back odi hundreds ???#ViratKohli @imVkohli ? LY bhai #INDvsSL
— Jersey No 18 ?? (@SakthiSuriya_18) January 10, 2023
@imVkohli you magnificent man!!!
73rd. #ViratKohli
— manish m barot (@manishmbarot) January 10, 2023
?for king Kohli!! Is there a better sight than Kohli’s century in cricket?? #INDvsSL #ViratKohli
— Cricket DotCom (@cricdotcom) January 10, 2023
What a day being a Fan of the KINGS @iamsrk @imVkohli ??? #PathaanTrailer #ViratKohli
— DareDevil (@__BornAgain) January 10, 2023
45th century #kingkohli ??#ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/R4nWxcnpaf
— Vinit Sharma (@VinitSh10103533) January 10, 2023
??????? ??.?? ??? ????? ????? #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/gV9qkXLjkV
— Lakshya Arora (@lakshya_varora) January 10, 2023
Kinguuuu ?????? @imVkohli ??????? Century #ViratKohli? #viratkohli pic.twitter.com/RY9gIBRyYl
— ????????? (@Vinayak3021) January 10, 2023
Back to back ?s for Virat Kohli in ODI?
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) January 10, 2023
A perfect start to 2023 – Virat Kohli scoring an ODI hundred. pic.twitter.com/DQKtLDbOSf
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 10, 2023
The King. The conqueror. The legend. King Kohli! ???
— Sourabh (@ganguly_nahi) January 10, 2023
