Virat Kohli Will Score 100 International Centuries: Former Indian Opener Confident Of Virat Achieving The Special Landmark

Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir mentioned that he wanted to make Virat Kohli’s maiden international hundred against Sri Lanka in 2009. India were chasing a huge target of 316 in the fourth ODI at the Eden Gardens stadium in Kolkata against Kumar Sangakkara and his men who were aiming to level the series as they were trailing 1-2 in the five-match ODI series.

India lost the early wickets of Virender Sehwag (10) and Sachin Tendulkar (8) at 23/2 inside four overs and the responsibility budged on Delhi’s duo of Kohli and Gambhir to steer India to the finishing line. The pair played their stupendous shots and kept the strike rotation on to stitch a 224-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Virat Kohli scored 107 vs SL in 4th ODI in 2009

Kohli scored his maiden international hundred before he was dismissed on 107, holing out to M Pushpakumara off Suraj Randiv’s bowling. Gambhir remained unbeaten on 150 as India won by seven wickets with 11 balls to spare and sealed the series 3-1.

I wanted to make it special for him: Gautam Gambhir on Virat Kohli’s maiden international hundred

Gambhir was initially awarded the player of the match but the senior player handed it over to the youngster and his Delhi teammate to credit him after he scored his first ODI century.

“I didn’t do anything I shouldn’t have done. You might go on to score 100 international hundreds, which I am sure he will because that’s the kind of player he is but you will always remember your first international hundred. I remember my first international hundred that was in Bangladesh and the first ODI hundred against Sri Lanka,” Gambhir told Jatin Sapru on the latter’s YouTube channel. 

“So I wanted to make it special for him and that’s not something I or anyone else shouldn’t have done. That’s the kind of nature I have and that’s the kind of player he was. And what he has done, I am absolutely not surprised with what he’s achieved, and he’ll go on to achieve many more things,” he added.

In the first Test against Sri Lanka in Mohali, Kohli reached the landmark of playing 100 Test matches for the Indian national team since he made his debut in 2011.

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