World Cup 2023: KL Rahul's crucial role in Virat Kohli's match-winning 48th ODI ton

Let’s not forget the huge contribution of K L Rahul in Virat Kohli’s first World Cup century while chasing, writes Meenakshi Rao.

Pune: Virat Kohli will be thanking KL Rahul big time for getting his 48th ODI century and the first in the World Cup while chasing in Pune tonight. It was a magnanimous Rahul’s selfless and magnanimous gesture of stepping back, not taking any runs and pushing Kohli to score his hundred that spoke volumes of the team spirit of Rohit Sharma’s squad as well as of the positive atmosphere that is propelling the dream run in their 2023 World Cup edition.

Rahul, who made a quiet 34 in Pune to contribute to the win against Bangladesh, was scoring at a brisk pace when in the 38th over, Kohli got to his 80 and a 100 and started looking within sight. With just 23 runs left for India to win the match, Rahul walked up to Kohli and had a chat urging him to go the century without feeling guilty of personal acquisition.

Kohli took up the challenge and bedecked Rahul’s grand step-back to score his century with a grand six when just two runs were left for victory and the bowler had bowled one wide, making it dangerously close to the total reaching its destination without Kohli completing his ton.

“I told him (Kohli) that we were going to win so he should go for a milestone,” Rahul said after the match. This is not the first time that Rahul has been overshadowed by Kohli’s star power and reputation of being a persevering run-chaser. In India’s opening match against Australia at Chennai, the hosts were in a soup after three ducks in the opening overs.

Kohli and Rahul had then chased the Australian total of 199 down with 15 overs to spare, in what was termed a thumping win against eternal champions Australia. Then too, Rahul took a back seat in the accolades that were poured over the contribution with the focus being more on Kohli and his tenacity. Ever since Rahul returned to the squad after an injury layover, he has been a star performer in his own worth.