Indian skipper Virat Kohli once again proved the world that he is the greatest chaser after his brilliant century (his 33rd ODI ton) helped India beat South Africa by six wickets in the opening ODI match at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday.
Chasing a competitive target of 270 runs, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane added 189 runs for the third wicket. Kohli scored 112 runs off 199 balls, while Rahane scored 79 runs. With his maiden hundred in South Africa, now Virat Kohli has joined the club of cricket great Sachin Tendulkar in terms of scoring century in eight different countries.
With India’s win in the first ODI, micro-blogging site, Twitter was full of congratulatory messages for Kohli. But one from former England skipper Michael Vaughan stood out as he paid the ultimate tribute to Indian captain.
“He is at is again .. The Greatest chaser the game has ever seen .. #Fact #SAvIND @imVkohli,” Vaughan posted on his official Twitter handle.
He is at is again .. The Greatest chaser the game has ever seen .. #Fact #SAvIND @imVkohli
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 1, 2018
Not just Vaughen but veteran cricketers like VVS Laxman and Mohammad Kaif also hailed Virat Kohli’s inning.
What a chaser, what an incredible player- Virat Kohli. A hundred in every country he has played. This one has made what looked a tricky chase look like a cakewalk.#INDvSA pic.twitter.com/E9GuAVFq1Y
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) February 1, 2018
Fabulous start to the series!! An all round effort in securing a big win. Another great century by the run machine, @imVkohli and a superb innings played by Ajju @ajinkyarahane88. Keep it up boys!@BCCI #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/uudgYEtl6k
— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) February 1, 2018
100 Number 33 for the Modern Master. King of chases Worldwide @imVkohli . India have cruised along #IndvSA
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) February 1, 2018
And that’s why he is the Undisputed BEST IN THE WORLD #KingOfRunChase – @imVkohli #SAvIND
— Hemang Badani (@hemangkbadani) February 1, 2018
After winning the match, Kohli said that the six-wicket victory in the first one-dayer against South Africa will give his side the momentum in the remainder of the six-match series.
“First match of the series is important. We wanted to take the momentum of the (third) Test win into this and when we restricted South Africa to 270 on this sort of a pitch, we were happy,” Kohli said.
When Virat was asked about his maiden century in Africa, he simply said: “Yeah it was quite special.”
The 29-year-old cricketer also appreciated the efforts of ‘dependable’ Ajinkya Rahane and said “Jinx (Rahane) is a top-class player. We understood fast bowling was going to be a big factor in this tour. He was superb, he took on the fast bowlers.”