Virat Kohli smashes 50th internation ton in Kolkata (Source: @ViratGang/x.com)
The Arun Jaitley Stadium introduced Virat Kohli to the world, Wankhede celebrated his 50th ODI ton, and Adelaide became his hunting ground, yet his Eden Gardens brilliance remains one of cricket’s most underrated masterclasses. Slamming a pink-ball hundred to some of the match-winning knocks, Kohli’s love story with Kolkata is worth cherishing.
Among all the milestones in Kolkata, the Test match against Sri Lanka in 2017, Virat Kohli touched an incredible milestone of smashing his 50th ton in the international cricket. With a classic ton, the Kolkata crowd witnessed a significant moment in King’s career.
He turned a cold winter morning into a masterclass, scoring a brilliant Test ton at the historic ground. Let’s revisit the time.
Eden Gardens witnesses Kohli add another feather in Test cap
The ODI cricket must have seen Virat Kohli smash over 50 tons, but the batter has been one of the biggest pioneers of Test cricket. Kohli’s unmatched aura kept Test cricket alive and thrilling in an era dominated by T20s. He didn’t just play the longest format; he owned it as the cricket world felt the real spark of the Tests.
King Kohli’s masterclass in the longest format can’t be measured, but there are some standout moments just like his 50th international ton in Kolkata. In 2017, India faced Sri Lanka in the first Test in Kolkata and made history. After walking away on a duck in the first innings, the second innings saw Kohli’s greatness.
Batting in the second innings, Team India got a solid start as Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul had a 166-run opening partnership. After Dhawan missed a well-deserved century and Rahul walked away scoring 79 runs, the biggest surprise was yet to come.
Coming to bat at number four, Kohli looked in fine touch since the first ball. After touching the half-century mark in 80 deliveries, he looked in his eyes at another Test century of his career. While standing on 94, King smashed a classic six and touched the magical three-figure mark in 119 balls. With 12 boundaries and two over-boundaries, he remained unbeaten as India declared the innings.
His 18th Test hundred was just a normal one, as with that ton, he smashed his 50th international hundred. With that, in the year 2017, Kohli smashed nine international centuries, breaking his own record of smashing the most tons in a calendar year.
Kohli smashes past the Master Blaster’s record, reaching 50 international centuries in just 348 innings compared to 376 by Sachin Tendulkar. When Team India faced a batting collapse, Kohli stepped in and carried India when it was needed the most.
Virat Kohli and centuries – a story written in the stars
The cricket world has witnessed some of the greatest of all time, but no one came close to Virat Kohli. Cricket found its god, but the throne of the game was empty until the King arrived. A Delhi boy, who dreamt of playing cricket after watching Sachin Tendulkar, is now chasing his record of 100 centuries.
Life has been crazy for Virat Kohli as ups and downs affected the batter, but he defied all the odds with brilliance. Even after he retired from Test with 30 centuries, his ODI tally is still standing at an unbeaten 51. With 81 international hundreds, he is just 19 centuries away from Tendulkar’s 100 hundreds. Though Kohli has left the longest format, his impact on Test cricket is immortal, having redefined brilliance and left a legacy that will never fade.
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