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‘There Was Motivation’ - Virat Kohli Reveals His Inspiration Behind His 49th ODI Century

image-lolnj9dcVirat Kohli celebrating his 49th ODI century at the 2023 World Cup vs SA (AP)

Virat Kohli manufactured his second century of the 2023 World Cup, and the 49th of his glittering ODI career during India’s high-profile clash against South Africa’s marauding bunch in Kolkata. The Indian batting veteran belted 10 boundaries in his epic, and ended up top-scoring for his side in their 326-run total upfront.

South Africa, having mastered the art of batting first this tournament, faltered in their run-chase as the ‘Men in Blue’ consigned them to their biggest-ever ODI defeat (243 runs).

Kohli, for his sublime century, was fittingly adjudged as ‘Player of the Match’, pipping out teammate Ravindra Jadeja. After the proceedings, the Indian batsman talked about the motivation behind his performance and praised team openers for providing a perfect launching pad within the powerplay overs.

Virat Kohli hails openers for blazing start

Virat Kohli acknowledged the magnitude of the match against South Africa, considering Temba Bavuma’s troops have emerged as one of the toughest group of the 2023 World Cup. After receiving his ‘Player of the Match’ award, the batting veteran claimed that he was motivated to do well for his team at the grand stage, and the overwhelming support he received at the Eden Gardens made it special for him.

During the post-match presentation, Virat Kohli said:

“I mean first things first, it was a big game. Probably, playing the toughest team in the competition. There was motivation of wanting to do well for the team. The people made it more special for me. I had a sense that there was going to be more today. One more game in the World Cup.”

Virat Kohli also praised Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill for their powerplay bombardment upfront. The 35-year-old stated that the batting conditions changed drastically thereafter, which forced him to bat deep and let others play around him. He added:

“When the openers start in that fashion, you think it is a belter. But the conditions change drastically. The message from the management was clear. I bat deep and the others play around me and express themselves. On these wickets, you get out and you think instead of 295, it would have been 320. But once we got there, we knew we were right on top.”

The legendary batsman asserted that he is at a stage of life where he is enjoying his cricket at the moment, and added that he has been blessed to have that feeling on the field.

“I'm enjoying cricket right now. Even if you are in the middle and score 60-70, you feel happy and enjoy that. I'm happy that god has blessed me again with that enjoyment.”

Virat Kohli and his teammates will now turn up for Team India’s subsequent World Cup 2023 fixture against Netherlands. The match also marks their final group game before the ‘Men in Blue’ head out into the knockout stages of the tournament.