Virat Kohli is one of the greatest players of this generation. While he is still only 31, he is among all-time greats in ODIs. The Indian captain has managed to do it by spending thousands of hours in training. He has the technique which can rival the greatest batsmen of all time and he has fitness which is at par with some of the best athletes in the world.
While his technique helps him dominate the bowlers, his fitness helps him in taking singles and twos to keep the scoreboard ticking. Virat Kohli has scored 11867 runs in ODIs at an average of just under 60 and strike-rate of more than 93. He has scored 43 centuries in ODI cricket and most have come at a good rate. We don’t associate the word “slow” with Virat, but in this article, we will look at his slowest centuries.
3. 115 balls vs Sri Lanka – 2012
This was India’s first match in the 2012 Asia Cup. Virat came to bat when India was in a tricky situation after losing Sachin Tendulkar early. He steadied the ship with Gautam Gambhir, who also scored a century.
While it was an important knock the right-hander took 115 balls to reach the three-figure mark which makes this his third slowest century.
2. 119 balls vs South Africa – 2018
Virat Kohli came into bat after India lost the wicket of Rohit Sharma early. While Shikhar Dhawan was going crazy on the other end, Virat took his time to settle in.
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The Indian captain took 119 balls to reach the century which makes it the joint slowest century of his career. He made up for the slow time by attacking in the last 10 overs. He stayed unbeaten on 160 as India won the match by 124 runs.
1. 119 balls vs Pakistan – 2015
Stakes are always high when India meets Pakistan, but they are higher when they meet in a World Cup match. In 2015 World Cup, the two teams met each other in their first fixture.
Virat Kohli built good partnerships with Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina to put India in a good position. He played the role of the anchor as he played a slow inning by his standards. Kohli took 119 balls to reach century which makes this his slowest century.
