As he walked out for his 100th Test appearance in the first match against Sri Lanka in Mohali, albeit as a batter, Virat Kohli had "butterflies in his stomach." After 68 Tests in charge, the mercurial cricketer played as a specialist batter for the first time in seven years, scoring 45 in the first innings.
Kohli has 27 centuries and over 8,000 runs in his 100 Tests now, but the wait for his elusive 71st international century has been going on since November 2019, it was last when he scored a ton.
After being bowled by Lasith Embuldeniya, Kohli's wait for the 71st century was extended. He last hit the three-figure mark in November 2019, and fans all over the world have been waiting for him to hit the century mark again.
Kohli is unconcerned about the talk about his "milestones and materialistic achievements," but a Pakistani fan has a special request for the champion batter.
During the ongoing first Test match between Pakistan and Australia in Rawalpindi, a Pakistani fan was seen holding a poster pleading with Kohli to score a century for his country.
“We want your 71st century in Pakistan," read the placard.
Another fan was holding a sign that read, "Biggest Match 23 Oct 2022. Pakistan vs India (T20WC). Rohit vs Shaheen'. Notably, India and Pakistan will face off in the T20 World Cup opener at the Melbourne Cricket Ground this year (MCG).
Kohli has never played in Pakistan despite playing international cricket for nearly 14 years and boasting an impressive record against the neighbors. In 13 ODIs against Pakistan, he has scored 536 runs at an average of 48.72, and 311 runs at an average of 77.75 in seven T20Is.
Kohli's next appearance will be in Bengaluru on March 12 when India takes on Sri Lanka in the second Test of the series. It will be a Day/Night match, with all eyes on Kohli as he seeks his 71st international century.
