Virat Kohli and KL Rahul declined to run several singles in a bid to allow the former reach his century in the final stages of the run chase during the India-Bangladesh World Cup 2023 encounter on October 19.

The India No.3 was closing in on his century with his side virtually guaranteed of victory, but faced a tough equation with his runs required almost matching India’s. Needing to score nearly all the remaining runs to reach three figures, Kohli and Rahul began refusing singles in order to allow the former captain to do so.

Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed came on to bowl the 39th over, with India needing 19 runs more for a victory, and Kohli the same amount from a century. He smashed the first ball to the boundary. The following delivery was a dot. Kohli punched the third ball towards deep cover point, but despite an easy single being on offer, they settled for another scoreless delivery. Kohli dispatched the next ball for six and took a single on the last delivery, with eight runs now needed for a famous century and an India win.

The 34-year-old showcased an extraordinary passage of running in the next over off pacer Hasan Mahmud to reach 97. Twice, he sprinted for a double when one seemed unlikely, and twice he turned down a single when a double was impossible. A wide, and a single to close out the over, meant Rohit Sharma’s side still needed two runs to win, with Kohli requiring three for his hundred. In the next over, umpire Richard Kettleborough chose not to call wide despite the ball passing down the leg-side, with another single turned down after a push to long-on. Finally, Kohli cleared the fence on the third ball of the 41st over to bring up his third World Cup century, and his first since 2015. India sealed their fourth win on the trot by seven wickets. Kohli’s first hundred in the showpiece event came in 2011 against the same opponents, while the second came against Pakistan in 2015.

Earlier, chasing 257, India started with their familiar gung-ho attitude. They put on an opening stand of 88 runs, with Rohit Sharma as the main aggressor. Rohit departed for a breezy 48 (40) at the 12.4 over mark. His partner Shubman Gill chipped in with 53 from 55 before being undone by Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli kept on churning the runs at number three. He notched up his third fifty in four outings in this year’s World Cup. India were 178-3 when Shreyas Iyer was caught at deep mid-wicket by Mahmadullah off Mehidy’s bowling. Rahul and Kohli guided India close before the somewhat contrived, but certainly memorable finish.

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