Indian vice-captain Virat Kohli continued his love affair with Sri Lanka and just like on prior two occasions ripped apart the Lankans with a classy batting display. Kohli scored 106 of 113 deliveries in the first match of the five-match ODI series to help India win by 21 runs.

Sri Lanka has become his happy hunting ground and this is his third century on the trot against the Lankan Tigers. The chain started with his blitzkrieg in Bellerive Oval, then in the Bangladesh and now in Sri Lanka. He has now become the demolition man when it comes to facing the Island nation.

Very less did Sri Lanka know that a starry eyed boy who made his debut against them in the ODI’s and scored just 2 runs, would turn out to be their tormentor in chief in the coming years. Kohli has already scored 12 centuries in 85 matches he has played and four of those have come against Sri Lanka.

It is being on for quite some time now that Kohli has hit the purple patch and in his last five ODIs, he has crossed the three figure mark. And it is not only against Sri Lanka, every opponent he faces, he does so with much conviction.
Saying that Kohli is a classy player would not be a revelation of any sorts as everyone knows his quality. Kohli actually did beat a lot of other experienced player to solidify his spot in the team. Nothing new in international cricket, but then Kohli has mastered the art of performing when the need of the hour rises and this is the quality that perhaps made him the second-in-command of the team at such a young age.

The stylish batsman’s steady rise to the stardom has drawn a comparison between him and Sachin Tendulkar. And the Little Master himself acknowledged his performance and said that Kohli has it him to surpass his feat.

In his four years of international career Kohli has proved that he is class apart and has in him which could give him that extra mileage. He plays with conviction and does not get intimidated by anything and lets his bat do the talking. He is fiery yet calm at the same time and his temperament makes him a player of different league. He does not crumble under pressure, and for the records, his best innings have come under pressure.

He has proved that he is a big match player and has it in him to take responsibility to finish the match. He is a good hitter of the ball, knows exactly what to do and when. He is also a brisk run scorer and scores at a good rate and actually puts the opposition under pressure.

Virat Kohli can play all the shots in the book. Unlike some, who have problems facing the short deliveries, he handles them pretty well. Even if there is no chance of the team winning, he has it in himself to strive for the victory on his own.

By Samikshan Dutta Choudhury
Indian Sports News Network