Virat Kohli turned on the beast mode on Friday night with a match-winning innings for India in the first Twenty20 International against West Indies in Hyderabad.
The Indian captain scored a career-best 94 not out to help his team chase down the target of 208 with eight balls to spare. He faced 50 balls, hit six fours and as many sixes, and left everyone watching absolutely thrilled by the end of it all.
Also read – ‘Breathtaking’, ‘national treasure’: Twitter reacts to Virat Kohli’s epic 94 against West Indies
While Kohli’s entire innings was fascinating, what with him struggling to time the ball in the first half and then exclusively finding the middle of the bat in the second, there was one moment in his epic knock that turned out to be quite the talking point.
It happened 16th over of the innings. Batting on 61, Kohli flicked a full-ish delivery from medium-pace bowler Kesrick Williams for a six over mid-wicket. It was a jaw-dropping shot as there was hardly a flurry of the bat and yet the right-hander managed to only use his wrists to send the ball all the way.
But what happened after that was just as eye-catching. Kohli pretended to remove a notebook from his pocket and started gesturing as if he was making tick marks. All this with Williams staring at him from just a few meters away.
Watch Kohli’s stunning six and his reaction to it here:
As it turned out, there was a reason why Kohli reacted so animatedly after hitting the six. In the post-match presentation ceremony, the 31-year-old said that Williams had celebrated this way after getting him out in a One-Day International in the West Indies in 2017, so he thought it payback time.
“It happened to me in Jamaica when he [Williams] got me out,” said Kohli. “So I thought I’ll tick a few in the notebook as well, but all good. There were a few words, but smiles at the end.”
Watch Williams’s celebration from 2017 here:
Kohli’s post-match chat:
All in all, though, Friday’s innings was one of Kohli’s best. After opener KL Rahul laid the platform, the skipper took India home almost single-handedly. It was a tough chase but Kohli made it look easy at the end, as only he can.
Watch highlights of the innings here:
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