Virat Kohli hailed by netizens even as he scores slowest IPL ton on Indian soil during RR-RCB clash

Virat Kohli firmly entrenched himself at the top of the Orange Cap list in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) by bringing up the first century of the season during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s away game against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Saturday. The star batter, however, took his time to bring up the milestone, reaching there in 67 deliveries — the slowest ton scored in the IPL on Indian soil.

LIVE | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, IPL 2024 Match 19 in Jaipur

Kohli powered RCB to a competitive 183/3 with an unbeaten 113 off 72 deliveries, collecting 12 fours and four sixes along the way after RR won the toss and opted to field. The former India and Bengaluru captain brought up the three-figure mark for the eighth time in the cash-rich league in just 67 deliveries in the penultimate over of the innings, much to the delight of fans at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, even the pink-clad supporters cheering on for the home team.

Kohli thus became the first batter to breach the 300-run barrier in the ongoing season, his current tally standing at 316 at a remarkable average of 105.33. At the end of the RCB innings, Kohli was 135 runs ahead of RR’s Riyan Parag, ranked second on the run-scorers’ list who could narrow the gap later in the match.

It was also the first century of the season, eclipsing Gujarat Titans captain and opener Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 89 off 48 deliveries against Punjab Kings on Thursday.

Here’s how cricket experts, including former cricketers, as well as fans on microblogging website X, formerly known as Twitter, reacted to Kohli’s batting masterclass on Saturday: