Virat Kohli’s unbroken 101 against South Africa in the current ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata was his 49th century in One Day Internationals and his 71st overall in international cricket.
With their place in the semifinals already secure, both teams battled to lock down the top group table position. India currently boasts a winning streak with all eight games they played, anticipating their final showdown with the Netherlands on 12th November in Bengaluru.
Eden Gardens, recognized globally as a significant cricket venue, has consistently favored the Delhi batsman throughout his journey.
Few will forget his 136 against Bangladesh in the inaugural Day-Night Test played in India.
There was also the 104 against Sri Lanka in the second innings of the 2017 Test, when India desperately needed to declare. The stadium has also been good to him in one-day cricket.
In this article, we will look at the best three ODI innings by Virat Kohli at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata:
1. 107 vs Sri Lanka, 2009
In ODIs at Eden Gardens, Virat Kohli’s personal best is 107. He made those runs in 2009, facing Sri Lanka. At that time, Virat Kohli, a newcomer, shone bright along with Gautam Gambhir, batting at number three.
The Indian innings began with Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, tasked with topping the Lankan’s tough 317 run target.
Although the openers were dismissed quickly, Delhi’s Gambhir and Virat Kohli put up a superb partnership to ensure that the chase proved easier for them in the conclusion. Gambhir finished undefeated with an even 150, while Kohli finished with 107.
2. 101* vs South Africa, 2023
Virat Kohli’s 101 not-outs against South Africa in the World Cup match on Sunday rank second on this list.
India chose to bat first, and Kohli demonstrated his experience and ability by playing a magnificent performance on a somewhat slow Eden Gardens surface.
Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill failed to convert their starts into significant scores, leaving Kohli and number four Shreyas Iyer to lead India to a massive total of 326.
Of course, Ravindra Jadeja worked his magic in the second innings, ensuring that the Proteas were all out for 83.
3. 92 vs Australia, 2017
In fact, Virat Kohli has only made two century in ODIs at Eden Gardens. Third on this list is the 92 he scored against Australia in a bilateral series. India batted first and only managed 250 runs, owing primarily to Kohli’s 92.
Ajinkya Rahane, who was pressed to start the innings, too contributed well with a half-century. Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar attempted to increase the total in the later half of the innings, but they were only so successful.
Despite half-centuries from Steven Smith and Marcus Stoinis, Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a brilliant stint in the second innings, finishing with figures of 3-9 and bowling Australia out for 202.
