Virat Kohli has unarguably been the very best where it comes to the modern day batters in the game. He has played the sport for over a decade in time and as he hears a fifteen year stint in the very highest echelons of the game, the general feeling is that his one day career could go even longer.
Having recently stepped away from the T20 and Test format, the focus lies now on one day internationals. But the great batter that he is, Kohli has always entertained and generated awe. His hunger for runs remains the same and even now, he's willing to bear responsibility at the top order even as new sun has risen for names like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
However, as great a batter he is, his celebrations, too, have been unique and many a times, emotional and purely passionate. So which are some of the most famous ones that he's brought to the fore after reaching a milstone such as a century? Let us find out.
When Virat Kohli hit a match-winning ton with stiches in hand in IPL 2016
Back in 2016, when Virat Kohli hadn't even completed a full 10 years in international cricket, he really took the IPL world by a storm. And it was a storm that crashed onto RCB's opponents and naysayers. That day, back in May, 2016, Kohli whilst fielding had sustained a split webbing on his left hand whilst fielding against KKR. However, in the next game against Punjab, Kohli brought up fourth IPL hundred and guided RCB to a big win.
After completing his hundred, Kohli did a very special celebration in which he was seen making a movement that could be likened where he pointed towards his injured finger. His red hot form that seasoned really enabled the Bangalore franchise to pose lofty team totals in the contests.
The 2023 Asia Cup century and the incredible jump
Back in 2023, Virat Kohli celebrated a special century by jumping in pure joy and making the first punch the air above.
The occasion was the Asia Cup contest and Virat Kohli had fired a special century versus Pakistan, taming spinners and pacers alike, during his innings of 122 runs that came off just 94 deliveries.
A great man and an express hundred.
After surpassing Sachin Tendulkar to hit most number of ODI centuries
It is one thing to pursue the dream career of a legend like Sachin Tendulkar and something quite different, utterly challenging to actually draw level with the great of the game. However, Virat Kohli went on to put even greater numbers than him in term of centuries in ODI cricket. The occasion was the semi-final of the 2023 ODI World Cup against New Zealand at Wankhede Staadium in Mumbai, Sachin's home ground.
After completing the hundred, Kohli bowed down to the crowd and made a special, emotional gesture to the Master Blaster who was there in attendance.
From one legend-to-another!
The excitement at Adelaide in 2012 with the maiden Test ton
It was so far back in time that now it seems like the entire journey was a dream-like scenario. Oh just how much is one going to miss the great Virat Kohli in the game's classic format!
Back in the year 2012 with some of the famed Indian Test specialist batters having already retired, the focus was on the youth.
And when runs were desperately needed, one young gun, a former captain of the Under-19 team replied with glowing confidence.
His name? Virat Kohli.
Striking a maiden century is always considered special and this one really was since Kohli notched up a first Test century and that too, thousands of miles away from the Indian sub-continent.
Much like the century, Kohli's celebration was quite special as well. We would raise both his arms in thin air, celebrating the moment to savour with massive excitement, just like how the special occasion warranted it.
After all, a young confident man had made 116 painstakingly constructed runs. It came after a 210 plus ball stay at the wicket.
The famous Perth ton with the bat doing the talking move
Back in December of 2018, Virat Kohli achieved a significant landmark century in Australia, a destination where his first hundred in the longest form of the game had actually come way back in time in 2012, a period time where greats like Dravid had already called it a day.
But back in 2018, Virat Kohli struck a sublime Test hundred, which was back then, his sixth ton against the mighty Aussies and on the whole, his 25th in the longest format of the game.
He struck a really memorable hundred with a boundary hit down the ground. The glorious drive off Mitchell Starc was something to savour and upon reaching the hundred at the Optus stadium pitch, he didn't say much except raised the bat and made an expression that was quite clear.
It seemed to suggest that while the man didn't say much himself, his bat did the talking.
