Virat Kohli: Decoding his best ODI knocks versus Bangladesh
India's batting talisman Virat Kohli smashed his 48th ODI century on Thursday. He reached the mark while chasing 257 against Bangladesh in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup encounter in Pune. His brilliance powered India to a seven-wicket triumph. Kohli now requires a solitary century to equal Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar's record (49). Here we decode his best ODI knocks against Bangladesh.
A match-winning effort from Kohli
Kohli arrived after India lost Rohit Sharma, who shared an 88-run opening stand with Shubman Gill. Although Kohli played second fiddle early on, his onslaught came toward the end. The former reached his century with India's win, smashing a six. The 34-year-old ended up scoring an unbeaten 103 off 97 balls (6 fours and 4 sixes). India comfortably crossed the line in 41.3 overs.
When Kohli ended his century drought in Chattogram
Though the 2022 Chattogram ODI between India and Bangladesh is mostly remembered for Ishan Kishan's 210, Kohli also smoked a hundred in that duel. He scored runs for fun and accumulated 113 off 91 balls as India posted a mammoth 409/8 while batting first. It was his first ODI ton in over three years as India won by 227 runs.
Captain's knock in Fatullah
An unfortunate injury for MS Dhoni meant Kohli led India at the 2014 Asia Cup. Chasing 280 in their opener, India lost both their openers inside 60 runs. Kohli joined forces with Ajinkya Rahane and the duo rebuilt the innings with a double-century stand. The Indian skipper was the aggressor in the partnership as he scored a 122-ball 136. India won by six wickets.
A crucial 91 in Mirpur
Chasing 297 in the 2010 Mirpur ODI, India lost three early wickets and were reduced to 3/51. However, a young Virat Kohli displayed remarkable character and bailed his side out of trouble. He joined forces with skipper Dhoni and the duo added 152 runs. Though Kohli missed out on a ton, his 102-ball 91 guided India to a comprehensive six-wicket win.
Another match-winning effort in Mirpur
Within a week after that 91-run knock, Kohli slammed a ton against the Tigers. The Mirpur track seemed favorable for spinners as the hosts could only manage 247/6 while batting first. However, Kohli did not face many problems as he paced his knock to perfection. He scored an unbeaten 102 off 95 balls as India won by six wickets.
