Superstar Virat Kohli lit up the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday, ending a 4-year wait for an Indian Premier League (IPL) century. His triple-figure score against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) propelled the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to a remarkable victory and marked a significant milestone in his IPL journey. It was Kohli’s 6th ton in the cash-rich league, and he equalled the record of former RCB giant Chris Gayle.
Notably, Kohli’s previous IPL century came in the 2019 season against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He faced a considerable drought in scoring a hundred in international cricket too, which was eventually broken last year during the Asia Cup.
In the IPL 2022 season, the 34-year-old encountered a challenging period but made a strong comeback this year. Kohli has already accumulated an impressive total of 538 runs in 13 matches thus far, showcasing his exceptional form and determination.
The Delhi-born cricketer came out to open the innings along with RCB captain Faf du Plessis. The star batting pair took SRH bowlers to the cleaners and went on to add 172 runs for the opening wicket. During his stay, Kohli hammered 12 fours and four sixes, and one of the six caught everyone’s attention, including Du Plessis, who was at the other end.
It happened on the first ball of the ninth over bowled by SRH debutant Nitish Reddy when Kohli swung his arms with brute force and slammed a humongous 103-metre six. After Kohli’s sensational hit, Du Plessis couldn’t believe his eyes, and his amazed reaction quickly went viral on the internet.
Here is the video:
The Beauty (& the Beast) of #TATAIPL 😎#SRHvRCB #IPLonJioCinema #Kohli https://t.co/qfCZLvS2f6 pic.twitter.com/Ju0rBsfEIA
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 18, 2023
Speaking about the game, SRH, after being asked to bat first, posted 186/5 in 20 overs, courtesy of Heinrich Klaasen’s maiden IPL century. The South African star scored 104 from 51 deliveries, including 8 four and 6 sixes. However, RCB managed to chase down the target in 19.2 overs to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the playoffs.
