Former India captain Virat Kohli on Thursday ended his century drought with a magnificent unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan in India’s Super 4 match at the 2022 Asia Cup. It was Kohli’s first international century in 1,021 days and a maiden T20I format that played a key role in India’s win in Dubai 101 runs. However, former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, in his rather “honest” take on the much-awaited ton, revealed that Kohli was the only survivor of this long drought and that no one would even get the chance for that long, no format. how big a name they have in sports.
On 23 November 2019, Kohli scored his 70th international ton en route to a match-winning 136 against Bangladesh in Kolkata. In the 83 innings since then, across formats, Kohli has struggled for another three-figure mark. And hopes of another hundred have slowly started to fade this year, with Kohli suffering a dip in form and showing signs of struggles. However, Kohli made a brilliant comeback to the format, scoring a couple of fifties in the Asia Cup before hitting his 71st international century, in a format he least expected.
But Gambhir in his interview with Star Sports admitted that because of Kohli’s past achievements, he has been able to get support from the team management and selectors in these three years that no other cricketer would have. Gambhir even named a few – R Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul – saying they were all dropped due to poor run of form or lack of centuries.
Three years is a very long time. It’s not three months. And I’m not trying to be critical of him, but he earned it just because he ran a lot in the past. But I don’t think any of the young batsmen will survive in international cricket if they don’t get a hundred in three years,” he said.
Eventually it had to happen, and it happened at the right time. You’re coming up to the T20 World Cup and he’s got a hundred, so he’s got a monkey off his back. But let’s be fair and completely honest, I don’t think anyone would survive three years without a hundred in the dressing room. The likes of Ashwin, Rahane, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul were dropped. I don’t know a single guy who hasn’t dropped out after not scoring a hundred in three years. It’s just Virat Kohli and he deserved it.”
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