ODI World Cup: Kohli smashes 48th ton as India beat Bangladesh to win fourth game in a row
Former India captain Virat Kohli (103*) scored his 48th ODI ton as India made short work of the 257-run target set by Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association. Stadium, Pune.
The Indian team’s performance was bolstered by KL Rahul, who contributed an unbeaten 34 runs. The opening partnership of Shubman Gill (53) and Rohit Sharma (48) got India off to an explosive start, adding 88 runs to the scoreboard.
In the first innings, India showcased a strong bowling performance, limiting Bangladesh to a total of 256 for 8. This turnaround came after Bangladesh’s promising 93-run opening partnership between Tanzid Hasan (51) and Litton Das (66). India’s bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja, combined to claim six wickets, while Kuldeep Yadav and Shardul Thakur each took one wicket. Mahmudullah played a crucial cameo, scoring 46 runs off 36 balls, which helped Bangladesh reach a competitive total after a minor batting collapse. Mushfiqur Rahim (38) provided stability in the middle order before being dismissed.
Despite their victory, India missed an opportunity to reclaim the top spot in the tournament’s points table. In order to surpass New Zealand in terms of net run rate (NRR), India needed to chase down the target of 257 runs within 33 overs. However, they achieved the target in 41.3 overs, allowing New Zealand to maintain their position as the tournament’s leader. Currently, India’s net run rate stands at +1.659, while New Zealand’s NRR is +1.923.
