Virat Kohli underlines ‘greatness’ with another masterful chase
Another masterful chase effort from Kohli helped India to a four-wicket win over New Zealand in Dharamsala.
But, for the first time in international cricket in more than five years, Kohli was dismissed with a score between 90 and 100.
Virat Kohli's 95 included eight fours and two sixes.
It wasn’t nerves that denied the 34-year-old a century on this occasion, but scoreboard pressure, with the runs required for India to win and Kohli to reach his century running close to parallel for the second time in a week.
Against Bangladesh, Kohli successfully farmed the strike and wrapped up both the win and his personal milestone with a final six.
But, attempting the same thing at Dharamsala, he fell narrowly short, picking out Glenn Phillips in the deep with five runs still required for India to win the game and with Kohli himself on 95.
He may have missed out on the individual milestone, but Kohli’s innings had been crucial in earning his team a fifth win from five matches at the tournament, anchoring the innings as the rest of the top six all departed.
“He's a world-class player and he'll go down as one of the greats of the game for a reason,” Daryl Mitchell, the game’s sole centurion, said.
“It was a very good knock under pressure I thought, and although he didn't get 100, he got his team across the line.”
Mohammed Shami's five-wicket haul and Virat Kohli's stupendous 95 helped India remain unbeaten in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023.
And Kohli’s captain was also quick to celebrate a player who has helped India in run chases more than any other.
“There’s nothing much to say about Virat,” Rohit Sharma joked in his interview after the game. “We've seen him do this for so many years – he backs himself to do the job.
“Towards the end there was a bit of pressure with a few wickets lost, but Kohli and Jadeja took us home.
“We love travelling and playing in different parts of the country. So far we have not been disappointed and we have not disappointed the crowd as well.”
India and New Zealand had to walk off the park as fog disrupted play in Dharamsala during ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023.
Kohli’s frustration upon being dismissed was clear to see, not least because a second century of the week would have taken his ODI tally up to 49, equalling the all-time record held by Sachin Tendulkar.
With four more group games to come there is still time for Kohli to make history on the World Cup stage in-front of his home fans, with a game against struggling England up next in a week's time.