Virat Kohli First Hundred: Virat Kohli made his first century on December 24, 2009. He was playing at Eden Gardens in Kolkata for the fourth match of an ODI series against Sri Lanka. The news had reached them before the game that because of a finger injury Yuvraj Singh would miss playing in the match, so a young right-hander was given a go for the game.
Earlier, Kohli had led India to victory at the Under-19 World Cup. However, Virat had been around the block since 2008, yet he hadn’t made his presence known in international cricket so far.
Sri Lanka opted to bat first and put forward a formidable total of 315 runs. The Indians faltered right from the onset of their chase by losing the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag when only 23 runs were put up, at which stage Virat Kohli walked out determined into the field. When the pressure was mounting, and Sri Lanka’s bowlers were going great guns, the Indian team had no idea of a new chapter in cricket that was about to open.
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Virat Kohli’s First-Ever ODI Hundred
Kohli took up the challenge. Along with Gautam Gambhir, he steadied the innings. Gambhir was aggressive and Virat was composed, sensible cricket under pressure. He reached his half-century in just 51 balls and then scored his first ODI century in 110 balls. His innings of 107 runs, off 114 balls, had 11 fours and one six. Throughout, he did not look the least rattled and easily handled pressure while striking powerful shots.
Do you remember Virat Kohli's first ODI hundred?
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) November 5, 2019
📌 Eden Gardens, Kolkata
⌚ 24 December, 2009
🧒 21 years old
📹: BCCI | #HappyBirthdayViratpic.twitter.com/lYBBFD8Cpn
Kohli and Gambhir, who made a century stand for the third wicket, broke the record for the third-wicket partnership with 224 runs. This was an important factor in India chasing down the target and securing the match by 7 wickets.
Beginning Of Virat Kohli’s Legacy
Kohli’s first century became the defining moment of his career. From that day, he never looked back. Since then, he has gone on to score 81 international cricket centuries and broken some major records. Many think that if anyone is capable of surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 hundred, it’s “Virat Kohli”.
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