NEW DELHI: When the runs India needed to win were near idential to the runs Virat Kohli required to get to his century in the ICC World Cup match against Bangladesh in Pune on Thursday, the self-less batting icon approached his parnter in the middle, KL Rahul, and said "it will not look nice to not take a single" in pursuit of a personal milestone.
Rahul shared the conversation he had with Kohli on the official World Cup broadcast after India completed their fourth consecutive win of this World Cup by seven wickets.
The conversation highlights the self-less approach Kohli has to his cricket, putting the team and the country first.
"He was confused actually. He said 'It will not look nice to not take a single. It's still a World Cup, still a big stage. So I don't want to look like I want to get to the milestone (century)'," Rahul said talking to Sanjay Manjrekar after the match.
Rahul then shared his reply to Kohli after the batting icon appeared in two minds.
"I said '(I know) it (the match) is not won, but we will still win this quite easily. So if you can get to the milestone, why not! You must try'," said Rahul.
Kohli did that in the end, getting to his 48th ODI century with a six, which also signalled India's victory. En route to his 78th international hundred, the former India captain also became the fastest to 26,000 international runs.
The victory put India level on points with New Zealand, who are identically unbeaten after playing four matches in the tournament but ahead of India on net run rate.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less