All it took for Virat Kohli to prove that he is not a spent force was a classic one-day international (ODI) century as India’s batting stalwart produced a match-winning knock against archrivals Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Kohli became the fastest batter and third man to reach 14,000 runs in ODIs, before going on to hit a record-extending 51st century in the limited overs format as he led India’s chase in their six-wicket win in Dubai on Sunday.
The knock from the 36-year-old stood out in the high-pressure match as the former captain came into the 50-over tournament with speculation over his cricket future.
Kohli said he shut down “the noise” to compile his unbeaten 100.
“My job was clear – to control in the middle overs, not take risks against spinners and take on the pacers. I was happy with the template, it’s how I play in ODIs,” he said after the match.
“I have a decent understanding of my game. It’s about keeping the outside noise away, take care of my energy levels and thoughts. It’s easy for me to get pulled into expectations and frenzy around games like these.”
Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan said his respect for Kohli had rocketed.
“I wonder how hard he would have worked when the whole world was saying he is out of form but coming into a match which is awaited by the world, he scores runs easily,” Rizwan said.
“I praise his hard work and fitness.”
India’s captain Rohit Sharma said his teammates were not surprised by Kohli’s match-winning performance.
“Virat loves representing the country, doing what he does the best, which is what he did today. People sitting inside the dressing room aren’t surprised with what he did.”
Kohli entered the match with 13,985 runs in 298 ODIs and went past 14,000 runs with a flowing punch through the covers off pace bowler Haris Rauf.
He is just the third man to achieve the feat after India icon Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara (14,234).
Kohli, who was out for 22 in the opening win over Bangladesh, put on 114 runs with Shreyas Iyer as he drove and flicked with aplomb to reach his 82nd century across all formats with a winning boundary.
He took off his helmet and raised his bat to a standing ovation from the crowd that chanted his name.
“I have never thought of Virat struggling for runs,” said Iyer.
“It’s just that the mindset he possesses over the years, he is always hungry for runs and I remember yesterday he came almost an hour before us for the practice session. Looking from outside, he looked as crisp as he looks all the time.”
Kohli and Rohit retired from T20 internationals after India’s World Cup triumph last year. But they struggled to find their best form in both Test and 50-over formats due to inconsistent run-scoring, with speculation that they may soon retire.
Following the bruising 3-1 Test defeat in Australia, the Indian cricket board ordered contracted players to feature in domestic cricket.
But both flopped, with Rohit scoring three and 28 in his first and second innings for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, and Kohli scoring six off 15 balls for Delhi.
Kohli will likely take the field against New Zealand next Sunday in their final group match for his 300th ODI since his debut in 2008.
