Kohli’s 48th ODI Century: Was it the right decision or not? Virat Kohli’s choice to eschew singles in the final moments of India’s successful chase against Bangladesh during a World Cup 2023 match, all in an effort to complete another ODI century, has sparked a debate on various social media platforms.
Kohli’s 48th ODI Century
In the closing 3 overs of India’s chase, Virat Kohli faced 8 consecutive dot balls, concluding the chase at 41.3 overs in Pune on October 19. After a discussion with his batting partner KL Rahul, Kohli opted not to take singles and focused on maintaining strike. He managed to score 30 runs in the last 20 balls he faced, propelling him from 73 to 103 and securing his 48th ODI century.
While the crowd in Pune cheered Kohli’s century, a segment of cricket enthusiasts on social media raised questions about the star batsman’s decision not to expedite the match’s conclusion, particularly considering the implications for the Net Run Rate calculations.
The term ‘selfish’ began trending on the social media platform X as fans debated Virat Kohli’s strategy at the MCA Stadium.
In a related video, Harbhajan Singh, a World Cup winner, expresses his belief in Virat Kohli’s potential to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record and accumulate numerous centuries.
Nonetheless, former India captain Kris Srikkanth expressed surprise at the criticism directed towards Virat Kohli for pursuing his century, emphasizing that there was nothing amiss with the star batsman’s approach.
Notably, KL Rahul, during a post-match interview after India’s 7-wicket victory, confirmed that Virat Kohli had initially been hesitant to maintain strike by refusing singles in the last 3-4 years. However, it was Rahul who encouraged his former captain to aim for the century in the end.
India ultimately secured a comfortable victory, allowing them to retain their second-place position in the World Cup 2023 points table. India’s next challenge will be against the other unbeaten team in the tournament, New Zealand, in Dharamsala on Sunday, October 21.
