The wait for Virat Kohli's 71st international century was finally over on Thursday (September 8) as he smashed 122* off 61 balls in India’s last Asia Cup 2022 Super-4 match against Afghanistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
It came in the form of his maiden T20I hundred and Kohli was more relieved than elated after notching up the three-figure mark.
Virat hit an international ton after close to three years, precisely 1020 days. His 70th international century was against Bangladesh in a day-night Test match at the Eden Gardens in November 2019.
Thanks to Kohli’s unbeaten hundred, India posted a mammoth 212/2 in their stipulated 20 overs.
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Speaking to the official broadcasters in the mid-innings, Virat Kohli said: "I feel very blessed, very grateful right now. Last two and a half years has taught me a lot. I’m going to turn 34 in November, so celebrations are all from the past."
"I have put a lot of things in perspective and, actually I was a bit shocked because this was the format I least expected a century to come any time soon, but it’s all God’s blessings, I have been working hard and this was just a moment which was very special for me and the team as well."
Kohli’s maiden T20I ton, studded with 12 fours and 6 sixes, is the highest individual T20I score for India as he surpassed Rohit Sharma's 118 against Sri Lanka in 2017. He also equalled Ricky Ponting's tally of 71 international centuries and only Sachin Tendulkar (100) is now ahead of him.
Virat dedicated this century to his wife Anushka Sharma and daughter Vamika.
"It was an accumulation of a lot of things, as I said, when I came back into the team, the team’s been really open and welcoming and helpful, given me space to work on my game. I know there was a lot of stuff going on on the outside but they really kept my perspective right, and I kissed my ring in the celebration as well.
"You see me standing here like this right now because all the things that have been put in perspective have been done by one person, who stood by me through all these difficult times, that’s Anushka and this hundred is specially dedicated to her and our little daughter Vamika as well."
Kohli elaborated on Anushka's role during the tough phase and highlighted that the one-month long break before the Asia Cup 2022 did wonder to him.
"As I said, when you have someone next to you putting the things in right perspective like I have been, and Anushka has been by my side through all these times .. time away from the game taught me lot of things."
"When I came back I wasn’t desperate, I was grateful for what God blessed me before, people were talking about me not getting a hundred but I looked at how much he has given me already, so that really calmed me down, that relaxed me, I was just happy to come back, six weeks off, I was refreshed, I understood after taking a break how tired actually I was mentally and physically.
"Your competitiveness doesn’t allow you to take that call, but I think it was a blessing in disguise for me. I wanted to be the best version of myself for the team, and when I came here, when I started playing in the nets, I felt like my old rhythm was coming back, it was just about getting those performances in the middle again."
(With ICC inputs)
