Sorry to Jaddu for stealing Player of the Match, wanted to finish game this time: Virat Kohli after 48th ODI hundred against Bangladesh | Cricket-world-cup News

Following his 48th ODI century, in pursuit of which a few singles were turned down towards the end of the game, Virat Kohli felt for a teammate, who would have got the Player of the Match prize otherwise. “Sorry for stealing it from Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja),” he said in his on-field interview. “I wanted to make a big contribution. Have made fifties in World Cups, wanted to finish it off this time.”
Kohli’s unbeaten 103 off 97 balls rounded off a routine run chase after India’s bowling attack restricted Bangladesh to a below-par 256 on a belter of a pitch in Pune. A quickfire 40-ball 48 from skipper Rohit Sharma and a smooth 53 off 55 deliveries Shubman Gill had earlier got the team off to a perfect start.
The former skipper got off to a dream start when he got back-to-back free hits from Hasan Mahmud, that Kohli hit for a four and a six. The runs kept flowing thereafter, as he combined with Shreyas Iyer and then KL Rahul to get India to a comfortable win.

“I was telling Shubman that even if you dream about this situation, you go back to sleep. It was a dream start. It just calms you down. The pitch was good, allowed me to play my game and hit the gaps and find the boundaries whenever I could,” he said.Most Read
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Once they reached within striking dance, a bit of drama ensued as Kohli, determined to reach his 100, kept almost all of the strike and looked to get all the runs needed himself to get to the landmark. He was aided a favourable non-call from umpire Richard Kettleborough, who refused to give a wide from left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed despite it going way down the leg side. Kohli hit a six to bring up his hundred and end the match on the next delivery.

India have now won their first four matches at the World Cup and will face New Zealand, the only other team with a 100 percent record, in Dharamsala on Sunday. Kohli asserted that the atmosphere in the dressing room has been very positive, allowing them to deal with the pressure of a long tournament and a home World Cup.

“Great atmosphere in the dressing room. The spirit is there for everyone to see,” he said. “You need to create some momentum in the changing room to come out and play like this. Special feeling to play in front of such crowds.”