NEW DELHI: India’s Virat Kohli won praise from the cricketing world on Monday after his third one-day international century in four matches silenced critics doubting his place in the team.
Kohli, 34, smashed an unbeaten 166 to lead India to the biggest-ever ODI win by 317 runs against Sri Lanka on Sunday, his 46th ODI ton and 74th in all formats.
The former captain ended last year with an ODI century against Bangladesh and began 2023 with another 113 in the Sri Lanka opener to announce his return as a run machine in style.
Kohli went through an extended lean patch last year, failing to reach three figures in over 1,000 days.
He quit as T20 skipper in late 2021 and in January 2022 was sacked from the ODI captaincy and gave up leading the Test side too.
“King Kohli” last week spoke again about his mental struggles during his dry phase, including how he had been “snappy” around his Bollywood actress wife Anushka Sharma.
“In my case, in denial, frustration was creeping in. I was very cranky, very snappy in my space,” Kohli told the Indian cricket board’s website bcci.tv.
“It was not fair on Anushka, my close ones, it’s not fair on the people who support you. So I had to take responsibility and kind of put things in perspective.”
Of mutual admiration ????, dealing with expectations & starting the year with a glorious ????A conversation that will b… https://t.co/jjTwRMCQGg— BCCI (@BCCI) 1673409644000
But he hit his first century after 1020 days in the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament in September last year and hasn’t looked back since.
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Milestone man Virat Kohli leads India to record ODI win against Sri Lanka
Show Captions<p>Virat Kohli is looking hungrier for big runs and has started producing those with consummate ease and effortless strokeplay. </p><p>On Sunday, Kohli broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 20 ODI centuries on home soil and his unbeaten 166 was the 46th of his career in this format.</p><p>During the course of his innings, Kohli also went past Mahela Jayawardene to rise to fifth in ODI’s all-time run-scorers chart. </p><p>But much more than those numbers, it is the manner in which Kohli is scoring the runs that will be giving the rival bowlers sleepless nights. </p><p>Kohli started showing signs of returning to form in the Asia Cup last year. </p><p>Kohli’s match-winning unbeaten 82 against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup was a classic and he translated the T20 form that he showed in the latter half of last year into ODIs. </p><p>The longer format also gives Kohli time and space to pace his innings. </p><p>After going century-less for more than three years, Kohli has now three tons in his last four innings. </p><p>On Sunday, Kohli looked in ominous touch the moment he arrived at the crease. </p><p>Kohli started with a cracking drive through the mid-off region off just the second ball he faced. From then on there was no looking back. </p><p>Kohli cut, drove, and pulled the hapless bowlers in all directions. </p><p>At 34, Kohli is still the fittest member of this Indian team and that is helping him pinch singles and twos to supplement his brilliant stroke-making. </p><p>However, the biggest takeaway from Kohli’s innings was how he accelerated to perfection. </p><p>Kohli’s first 50 came off 48 balls and was laced with five fours. </p><p>Kohli increased his pace and reached the three-figure mark off 85 balls and it contained eight fours and a six. </p><p>Kohli pushed the pedal on the accelerator once he crossed 100 and by the time he walked back at the end of his innings, he had eight sixes and 13 fours in his 110-ball knock. </p><p>Kohli has amassed 12,754 runs in 268 ODIs for India, behind Sachin Tendulkar (18,426), Kumar Sangakkara (14,234), Ricky Ponting (13,704) and Sanath Jayasuriya (13,430).</p><p>Kohli took the score close to 400 as India smashed 116 runs in the last 10 overs with contributing 84 of those.</p><p>Kohli felt that it is his mindset that is helping him get those big knocks again. </p>
Veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle said, “the king is back to doing what he does best, scoring hundreds”.
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) 1673781839000
Kohli’s long-time IPL friend and former teammate at Royal Challengers Bangalore AB de Villiers tweeted: “Virat Kohli! Different level.”
Virat Kohli! Different level????— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) 1673842193000
“It’s wonderful to see Virat Kohli back at his best in white-ball cricket, this unbeaten 166 was special even by his lofty standards,” batting great VVS Laxman wrote on Twitter.
What absolute dominance by India in the final ODI, and the series! It’s wonderful to see Virat Kohli back at his be… https://t.co/OninFmxIeb— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) 1673794431000
Sri Lanka batsman Angelo Mathews called Kohli a “modern great” and Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal said “he is the boss of this era”.
The modern great @imVkohli showed his class and experience once again! Gill batted well too.@BCCI outplayed us in… https://t.co/36irQ5FuRb— Angelo Mathews (@Angelo69Mathews) 1673802193000
Runs machine The KING @imVkohli …46th ODI century..He is the boss of this era ????????????????— Kamran Akmal (@KamiAkmal23) 1673781452000
Senior Indian journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, son of former India cricketer Dilip Sardesai, hailed Kohli as the greatest ever ODI player.
“Recall how only a few months ago there were those questioning @imVkohli future, esp (especially) in white ball cricket,” Sardesai wrote on Twitter.
But citing Kohli’s tournament-leading run tally at the T20 World Cup and two ODI centuries against Sri Lanka, Sardesai wrote: “the King is back”.
Recall how only a few months ago there were those questioning @imVkohli future, esp in white ball cricket. now,top… https://t.co/UMbxBATxK2— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) 1673783012000