Gambhir applauds as Kohli reaches fifty in Raipur; yet another rare record for iconic batter
Virat Kohli produced another assured performance as he reached a well-deserved half-century in Raipur ODI, extending the excellent form he had displayed in Ranchi. From the outset, Kohli appeared in complete command, barely offering a false stroke and rotating the strike with ease to keep India firmly on course. He brought up his fifty with a fluent push through the covers, drawing a thunderous reception from the crowd, which broke into rhythmic chants of “Kohli, Kohli!”
The moment gained additional attention on social media for reasons beyond the runs themselves. Amid persistent rumours of friction within the Indian dressing room and speculation of a rift involving head coach Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Gambhir was seen applauding Kohli’s milestone from the dressing room balcony. The gesture, now widely shared online, has sparked considerable discussion amid the swirl of conjecture surrounding team dynamics.
On the field, Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad maintained the tempo with a composed partnership. Their assured running between the wickets kept the scoreboard ticking, strengthening India’s platform.
Kohli’s half-century also extended his impressive ODI streak. His last three innings now read: 74* (81), 135 (120) and 50* (47). Remarkably, this marks the 13th time in his career that Kohli has put together a sequence of three or more consecutive 50-plus scores in One-Day Internationals. No other player has managed as many: Rohit Sharma follows with 11 such streaks, while Sachin Tendulkar recorded 10.
With Kohli and Gaikwad guiding the innings calmly, India continued to lay a solid foundation for a commanding total. (With inputs from Agencies)