On Virat Kohli's Criticism Over Century Drought, Mohammad Amir's Sharp Response To Critics

14.03.2023 - 16:43 sports.ndtv.com

Star India batter Virat Kohli shut down trolls and critics after he smashed a highly-awaited 28th Test ton during the fourth Test against Australia on Sunday.

Kohli's knock guided Team India to a whopping total of 571 runs in the first innings and gave the team a lead of 91 runs. The match eventually ended in a draw after early stumps were called on Day 5 as Australia remained unbeaten at 175/2.

With the draw, the Rohit Sharma-led side claimed the four-match series 2-1. It was a memorable moment for all the fans when Kohli, who had last hit a ton in the longest format in November 2019 against Bangladesh, crossed the triple figures after a hiatus of 3.5 years.

The former India skipper also faced a lot of flak for his century drought from the fans and many cricket experts but the right-handed batter showed his real mettle with his fiery ton against Australia.

cricket Australia Cricket Team on Virat Kohli Star India Australia India Bangladesh Pakistan

AB de Villiers, who was recently inducted into the RCB Hall Of fame, was present at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for Royal Challengers Bangalore's Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 opener against Mumbai Indians on Sunday. Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis dished out a chasing master-class with a 148-run opening partnership as Royal Challengers Bangalore made a sensational start to their IPL campaign with a comprehensive eight-wicket demolition of Mumbai Indians. Chasing 172, Kohli (82 not out) and Du Plessis (73) produced an exhibition of sublime stroke-making, plundering 10 boundaries and as many maximums during their near flawless 89-ball stand.

"Apart From MI Winning 5 And CSK 4...": Virat Kohli Issues Strong-Worded Message To Critics

Ecstatic after their emphatic win over five-time champions Mumbai Indians in their IPL opener, Royal Challengers Bangalore's batting mainstay Virat Kohli on Sunday hoped that the team will keep the focus and execute things properly to maintain the momentum. Kohli (82 not out off 49 balls) and skipper Faf du Plessis (73 off 43 balls) struck fiery fifties to fire RCB to an eight-wicket win over Mumbai Indians on Sunday. "Phenomenal win. Homecoming after so many years. Credit to their batters for getting to that score. Tilak (Varma) batted well. We kept backing ourselves. Faf went first, and I joined later. I am very happy with how things went today," said Kohli after the match.

Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis Slam Twin Fifties To Power RCB To 8-Wicket Win Over MI

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis dished out a chasing master-class with a 148-run opening partnership as Royal Challengers Bangalore made a sensational start to their IPL campaign with a comprehensive eight-wicket demolition of Mumbai Indians in Bengaluru on Sunday. Sent into bat, Tilak Varma smashed a scintillating 84 off 46 balls to single-handedly power MI to 171 for seven but Kohli and du Plessis made mockery of the total, slamming twin fifties as RCB romped home with as many as 22 balls to spare. Chasing 172, Kohli (82 not out) and Du Plessis (73) produced an exhibition of sublime stroke-making, plundering 10 boundaries and as many maximums during their near flawless 89-ball stand.

To "Sitting On Same Table As Ronaldo, Federer" Question, Virat Kohli's Golden Response

One of the greatest cricketers of all time, Virat Kohli remains an icon in the sporting spectrum. While Sachin Tendulkar is the man Kohli has idolised growing up, there are some non-cricketing heroes too that the talismanic batter has sought inspiration from. In a video shared by his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Kohli was asked about a hypothetical situation where he is sitting with sporting greats like Cristiano Ronaldo and Roger Federer -- two athletes he admires a lot. The Indian cricket star gave a brilliant response.

Chris Gayle Recalls Virat Kohli's Epic Reaction When He Overtook Him As Orange Cap Holder

Swashbuckling West Indian batter Chris Gayle praised Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli for his work ethic and passion, and recalled the intense competition between the two during their heyday at Royal Challengers Bangalore. Both Gayle and Kohli spent several seasons together at the IPL, dominating the rival bowlers and entertaining the crowd at their home base, Chinnaswamy Stadium, with as many as 10 century partnerships. "Batting with Virat was just fantastic. I like the passion he has for the game. I like his passion and his work ethic, it's fantastic. You have to give him credit for that and he wants to show it with his performances," Gayle said.

"Not Easy": Ravi Shastri's Clear Take On If Virat Kohli Can Cross Sachin Tendulkar's 100 International Centuries

After a wait of 1205 days, Virat Kohli this month finally registered a Test century, bringing up three figures in the fourth and final game against Australia in Ahmedabad. It was the 28th Test century for the batting star and his 75th in international cricket. There was a gap of 41 innings between his last century and this one, with the previous one coming over three years ago against Bangladesh in November 2019. As the 34-year-old battled through his lean patch and returned to his vintage form, many former cricketers and analysts are showing the belief that he will surpass cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar's mighty record of 100 international tons.