Virat Kohli had dedicated his 71st international ton to wife Anushka and daughter Vamika.
Virat Kohli’s long wait for his 71st international century has finally come to an end on Thursday (September 8), when the dashing right-hander smashed his maiden T20I century in the Asia Cup 2022 Super Four match between India and Afghanistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
It took 1021 days for him to score his 71st international century, and then Kohli paid tribute to his wife and actress Anushka Sharma by dedicating his century to her and daughter Vamika while mentioning how the actress kept him motivated during the tough time.
Kohli said in a statement after the match: “I mentioned one special person - Anushka - who stood by me through these tough times and I mentioned her as she has seen the absolute raw side of me throughout all these months. She was the one putting things in perspective for me, kept giving me the right kind of guidance, and vision moving forward and I came back into the system as a relaxed person.”
Following his statement, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar hailed Anushka Sharma for being a pillar for the star cricketer in tough times.
He also called Kohli a ‘man of steel’, while terming Anushka Sharma as an ‘iron lady’.
Akhtar said on his Youtube channel: “Virat Kohli stated in his post-match interview that ‘she’s seen the worst side of me’, vo apni begum ke baare me baat kar rahe the (He was talking about his wife). Hats off to Anushka Sharma, well done! You are an iron lady and he is the man made with steel, Mr. Virat Kohli.”
He continued, “Congratulations to you, Virat Kohli, you are a man of great nerve. Keep growing and you are a very good person. You always support the truth and that’s why nothing bad will happen to you at the end… remember, you will always be remembered as the greatest in the history of cricket.”
The Rawalpindi Express signed off by saying, “Don’t ever lose hope because you’re a strong boy, keep training hard, keep pushing hard. You are physically fit and mentally strong. You have a country of 1.6 billion and fans in Pakistan too. They are all cheering you up and making sure that you go out there and do what’s necessary, i.e. to score more and more hundreds. Wishing best of luck to you, your family, wife, mother and everybody. There is no time for stopping for Virat Kohli.”
Watch the video here -