Virat Kohli’s face was filled with disappointment as he accepted his “Player of the Tournament” title. After all, he’d gladly trade his own distinction for the World Cup championship.
Team India, who had gone unbeaten in their first ten games, were overtaken by a determined Australian team, who won their sixth ODI World Cup on Sunday, November 19.
Despite putting arguably his greatest performance of the tournament, India’s superstar Kohli was once again denied a World Cup championship. His incredible run-making talents and consistency propelled him to new heights.
Before the 2023 ODI World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 673 runs in one tournament (2003) was unbroken. Yet, Virat Kohli made a whopping 765 runs. His average? A stunning 95.62. His strike rate? An impressive 90.31.
Can you believe Virat Kohli hit a minimum of 50 runs in nine out of total 11 matches in the tournament? He gave his all for India and once again showed he is undoubtedly his generation’s top player.
On a related note, let’s observe Virat Kohli’s top five performances from the just-ended 2023 ODI World Cup.
5. 103* off 97 vs Bangladesh
Virat Kohli scored his first ODI World Cup century against Bangladesh in Pune in Match 17. Bangladesh batted first and scored 256/8 in 50 overs.
Virat Kohli took the crease in the 13th over, after India’s openers, Rohit Sharma (48) and Shubman Gill (53), had set the tone with an 88-run partnership for the first wicket.
When Virat Kohli began his inning, the Men in Blue still needed 169 runs. Kohli managed an incredible run-chase and led his team home in style, much to the joy of Indian supporters.
Kohli didn’t look back after receiving two free-hits early in his innings. With 11.4 overs remaining, Kohli was on 74 and India needed 26 runs. That’s when the Delhi-born hitter opted to push for his century instead of taking easy singles.
Virat Kohli sought for twos and boundaries in his quest for a century, which he completed when he blasted Nasum Ahmed over deep midwicket as India won with 51 balls to spare.
Kohli’s 103* against Bangladesh took him beyond 26,000 international runs.
4. 101* off 121 vs South Africa
Virat Kohli handed Indian fans the ultimate gift on his 35th birthday, clobbered his much-anticipated 49th ODI century against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Virat Kohli swatted away all the bad balls and helped his team reach an above-par total of 326/5 on a pitch that held up a little bit. He remained firm at one end and vexed the Proteas bowlers throughout the innings.
He equaled his hero Sachin Tendulkar’s record of hitting the joint-most hundreds in one-day international history with his stunning effort.
Kohli batted for more than 44 overs with a towering presence despite the slow surface. Together with Shreyas Iyer, who hit a superb 77, he put on a 134-run partnership for the third wicket.
Kohli scored 101* from 121 balls with the aid of 10 boundaries and was named Player of the Match.
3. 117 off 113 vs New Zealand in the semi-final
Virat Kohli just needed ten days to get from 49 ODI hundreds to a fifty, as the modern-day great delivered a stunning batting effort against New Zealand in the semi-final in Mumbai.
Kohli, who is famed for his ability to produce in big games, hit a spectacular 117 off 113 to lead India to the final. Before Kohli took over, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill put up a 71-run partnership for the first wicket.
Kohli and Gill put up 93 runs for the second wicket before the latter was forced to leave the field with an injury after scoring 79*. Shreyas Iyer joined Kohli, and the pair performed an outstanding job of leading the Indian innings to a massive score.
He put up a fantastic performance at the Wankhede Stadium and kept the runs flowing. Kohli blasted one into deep square leg for two runs in the 42nd over to record his historic 50th ODI ton.
He not only broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record, but he did it on the same stadium where he lifted the great man on his shoulders after winning the 2011 ODI World Cup.
2. 85 off 116 vs Australia (group stages)
Virat Kohli started his ODI World Cup in 2023 with a match-saving innings against Australia in Chennai. At 2/3, India was in serious trouble until he joined forces with KL Rahul, and the two led India to the finish line.
Kohli, in classic Kohli fashion, rescued India from a grave situation with a stunning innings of 85 off 116 balls. Kohli, who keeps calm under pressure, demonstrated why he is vital to the Indian squad as he led his team without incident.
Kohli batted with great application and approach on a slick Chennai deck. While he was granted a break early on, the right-hander made Australia pay.
He threw away all the poor balls and handled the Aussie bowlers with finesse. He and Rahul made 165 runs for the fourth wicket, the biggest partnership for India against Australia in ICC One-Day International World Cups.
Virat Kohliwas unlucky not to reach his century and was out at short midwicket for 85. Meanwhile, Rahul stayed undefeated on 97* as India won by six wickets to begin their campaign.
1. 95 off 104 vs New Zealand (group stages)
Three weeks before his 80th international century against New Zealand, Kohli thrashed the Kiwi bowlers in a group-stage encounter and hit the winning run.
On a cool Sunday evening at the gorgeous HPCA Stadium, India were chasing 274 in the second innings and were in trouble. However, Kohli, who has perfected the art of chasing totals, continued his excellent form to give India their fifth World Cup victory in a row.
Despite losing partners at one end, Kohli kept the scoreboard ticking with gutsy strokeplay and astute runs between the wickets. While he respected the nice balls produced by the Kiwi bowlers, he blasted the poor ones, hitting eight boundaries and two sixes throughout his stay.
Kohli carried the run-chase deep after completing his 69th ODI fifty, before blasting Trent Boult for a six and a four to all but secure the game. India needed just five runs in the final 15 balls when Kohli was holed out on the boundary while attempting to clinch his century.
Regardless, his knock was the single most important reason India won that game.