'A perfect start to 2023' - Fans go wild as Virat Kohli scores sensational hundred in first ODI against Sri Lanka

After the exhilarating action in the T20I series, India and Sri Lanka locked horns in the first ODI of the three-match series at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati. Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and invited India to bat first on a flat deck. Indian team management took the tough call of dropping Ishan Kishan, who scored a blistering double hundred in India’s last ODI against Bangladesh and went ahead with Shubman Gill.

Gill paid the faith of the team management and scored a brilliant 70 off 60 balls. Captain Rohit Sharma also joined the party and scored a magnificent 83 off 67 balls. The duo added 143 runs for the first wicket in 118 balls. After the fall of the first wicket, Virat Kohli walked to the middle and started his innings with a few singles.

He quickly got into the act on the seventh ball of his innings and scored his first boundary with his trademark flick on the on side. He further scored another boundary two balls later against Wanindu Hasaranga as he pulled a short delivery towards the mid wicket boundary. The former Indian captain was in top form as he looked extremely comfortable at the crease and was scoring boundaries at will.

Kohli added 40 runs for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer and then was involved in a 90-run stand with KL Rahul for the fourth wicket to take India past 300. In the process, he brought up his 65^th half-century in ODIs in 47 balls. Rahul also looked in fine touch as he scored consistent boundaries and scored 39 off 29.

Kohli brought up his 73rd international hundred and 45th ODI hundred

Kohli at the other end continued to march towards his 45^th ODI hundred. He got two lives during his innings as he was dropped by Kusal Mendis on 52 and on 81 by Dasun Shanaka.

He finally reached the landmark in the 47^th over as he punched a good length delivery straight down the ground. It was Kohli’s second consecutive hundred in ODIs with his last coming against Bangladesh in the third ODI.

Kohli's innings was finally ended on 113 off 87 balls as he got caught out looking for a explosive finish to the innings in the 49th over.

Meanwhile, Twitter was abuzz with reactions on Virat Kohli’s sensational hundred. Here are some of the Tweets:

45th odi, 9th against sri lanka and 73rd overall century for @imVkohli. #INDvsSL #StarSports @BCCI

— Sagar_Dubey (@SagarDubey04) January 10, 2023

The ONLY reason to watch Cricket King Kohli 🔥🔥. The run machine bring of his 45th Century. @imVkohli #ViratKohli #GOAT𓃵 #KingKohli 💕 #INDvsSL pic.twitter.com/LD8DqSYrOl

— VisionaryGeek (@visionary_geek) January 10, 2023

73rd IT IS 🔥🔥🔥 #KingKohli #ViratKohli𓃵 #INDvsSL

— Arnav (@leornav) January 10, 2023

The boss's back to basics.....No73❤️

— parth... (@Parth08145058) January 10, 2023

Knock Knock the 👑 is back #ViratKohli#INDvSL #century pic.twitter.com/LXWKSJUgTR

— 🇮🇳 محدفراز (fazzu) (@IammohdFaraz) January 10, 2023

Back to back centuries for The king in ODI.#ViratKohli𓃵 #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/AlYPaE6zkE

— Aryan Yadav (@Aryanydv144) January 10, 2023

The king is here #ViratKohli𓃵

Where are haters 🤭#INDvsSL

— ᴋᴀɪʟyɴ ᴋᴀʀᴀɴ (@kailynkaran) January 10, 2023

That's celebration we all Viratians Missing....#ViratKohli #INDvsSL pic.twitter.com/ra5KuC08Hk

— Talha Khan (@Who_TalhaKhan18) January 10, 2023

What an innings...A king is always a king..Noone can match the skill level and fitness and class 0f @imVkohli #GOAT #indVsSri

— Pritakitty (@pritamkitty) January 10, 2023

A perfect start to 2023 - Virat Kohli scoring his 45th ODI hundred. #ViratKohli𓃵 #INDvsSL pic.twitter.com/8cXmE5b4rJ

— Divesh (@SablaniaDivesh) January 10, 2023

73rd Done & Dusted.🔥💥🔥@imVkohli pic.twitter.com/5LWKdi0fd9

— . (@Rsofficial18) January 10, 2023