Kohli’s 48th ODI Century Marks His Third in World Cup History, Achieving the Milestone in 97 Balls with a Spectacular Mix of 6 Fours and 4 Sixes.
Virat Kohli notched his inaugural century in the 2023 World Cup, marking his 78th century in total, as he lived up to his reputation as a chase master, leading India to a victory over Bangladesh.
This century was Kohli’s 48th in One Day Internationals, with this being his third in the history of the 50-over World Cup. He achieved this milestone by playing 97 balls and striking an impressive combination of 6 fours and 4 sixes.
As with all of India’s previous World Cup opponents, Bangladesh found it challenging to accumulate runs against arguably the strongest bowling attack in the competition. On a pitch favoring the batsmen, Bangladesh managed a modest total of 256/8.
Bangladesh had initially gotten off to a terrific start, reaching 90 without any loss after 14 overs. However, despite India’s absence of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who had to leave the field due to an ankle injury, the Indian bowling attack once again demonstrated its prowess on this batting-friendly pitch.
In the ninth over of the match, India suffered an early setback when Pandya, attempting to block a straight drive from Litton Das with his right foot, tumbled to the ground. Pandya received initial medical attention on the field, but it soon became evident that he would not be able to continue, leading him to leave the field.
Regarding this incident, the BCCI later informed that Pandya had undergone scans. Former England captain Nasser Hussain, while on air, indicated that Pandya might be available to bat in the second innings, although an official confirmation on this matter was still pending.
With several options at his disposal, Rohit Sharma’s decision to entrust Virat Kohli with completing Pandya’s over, while India was still in pursuit of their first breakthrough, underscored the team’s confidence in their bowling attack in this tournament.