Royal Challengers Bangalore’s talisman Virat Kohli equalled Chris Gayle’s record for the most centuries in the history of Indian Premier League.
Kohli scored his sixth century in the league, with a majestic knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad at on Thursday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Buttler had come close earlier in the season, but fell for 95 against SRH in Jaipur.
IPL 2023: Heinrich Klaasen scores superb century in SRH vs RCB – ‘A super special player’
Kohli eventually fell for a 63-ball 100, reaching his ton with a majestic six but getting dismissed next ball. He played some imperious shots during his knock against SRH.
Further, this was the first time in the history of IPL that there was a centurion from both sides. Heinrich Klaasen scored a classic 104 off 51, but eventually, it was Kohli’s hundred that ended up on the winning side.
Batters with most centuries in IPL (3+)
| Player | Tons |
|---|---|
| CH Gayle | 6 |
| V Kohli | 6 |
| JC Buttler | 5 |
| DA Warner | 4 |
| SR Watson | 4 |
| KL Rahul | 4 |
| AB de Villiers | 3 |
| SV Samson | 3 |
“Nah, I never look at numbers,” said Kohli after Deep Dasgupta asked him about his below-par record against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the post-match presentation. “I was telling the boys the way I am looked at as an IPL player as well. It’s like, ‘You know, he’s fine. This is my sixth IPL hundred and I don’t think I give myself enough credit sometimes because I put myself under so much stress already that I don’t really care about what anyone says on the outside, to be honest.”
He added: “When you are in that situation yourself, you know how to win games of cricket and I’ve done that for a long period of time. So it’s not like when I play, I don’t win games for my team. It’s playing the situation that I take pride in. I’ve never been a guy who plays so many fancy shots and throwing my wicket away.”
Four of Kohli’s IPL centuries came in one season, when he amassed an incredible 973 runs in one edition back in 2016. His other century came in the 2019 season.
Earlier this season, Kohli became the first batter to cross the 7,000-run mark in the tournament’s history. The leading run-getter in the history of Indian Premier League, Kohli moved past the 7,000 milestone during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s match against Delhi Capitals. Kohli, perhaps fittingly, reached that landmark in Delhi which is his home ground.
After struggling for most of 2022, Kohli has been in much better touch in the IPL in 2023. He has already scored seven 50-plus innings this season.
Kohli in the IPL over the years
| YEAR | MAT | RUNS | HS | AVG | SR | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career | 236 | 7162 | 113 | 36.73 | 129.63 | 6 | 50 |
| 2023 | 13 | 538 | 100 | 44.83 | 135.86 | 1 | 6 |
| 2022 | 16 | 341 | 73 | 22.73 | 115.99 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021 | 15 | 405 | 72* | 28.92 | 119.46 | 0 | 3 |
| 2020 | 15 | 466 | 90* | 42.36 | 121.35 | 0 | 3 |
| 2019 | 14 | 464 | 100 | 33.14 | 141.46 | 1 | 2 |
| 2018 | 14 | 530 | 92* | 48.18 | 139.10 | 0 | 4 |
| 2017 | 10 | 308 | 64 | 30.80 | 122.22 | 0 | 4 |
| 2016 | 16 | 973 | 113 | 81.08 | 152.03 | 4 | 7 |
| 2015 | 16 | 505 | 82* | 45.90 | 130.82 | 0 | 3 |
| 2014 | 14 | 359 | 73 | 27.61 | 122.10 | 0 | 2 |
| 2013 | 16 | 634 | 99 | 45.28 | 138.73 | 0 | 6 |
| 2012 | 16 | 364 | 73* | 28.00 | 111.65 | 0 | 2 |
| 2011 | 16 | 557 | 71 | 46.41 | 121.08 | 0 | 4 |
| 2010 | 16 | 307 | 58 | 27.90 | 144.81 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009 | 16 | 246 | 50 | 22.36 | 112.32 | 0 | 1 |
| 2008 | 13 | 165 | 38 | 15.00 | 105.09 | 0 | 0 |
Here are some reactions to the Kohli knock:
Here are some dressing room reactions after the match:
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