The real King in our midst!

Virat Kohli had commentators speculating about a rather silent choice of celebration upon reaching his century at Kolkatarsquos Eden Gardens on Sunday The 35yearoldrsquos celebration was rather reserved compared to his usual spirited selfCommentators joked that age is catching up with himAge appears to bear little influence on him but who can run away from milestones Kohli is now 49ODI hundredsold This is no mean feat but that he jointly holds the record for most ODI hundreds with idol Sachin Tendulkar makes it a cut aboveAs the World Cup league stage clash against South Africa went into hyperdrive on the back of another Kohli blitz it became blindingly obvious that he is well and truly Indiarsquos knight in shining armour Fresh off his flashy 94ball88 against Sri Lanka Kohli completely dismantled the muchvaunted South African bowling attack finishing unbeaten on 101Also ReadFortune favours the lsquoBluersquoThere were deafening cheers as the batting talisman moved swiftly through the 90s and chants of lsquoViratViratrsquo filled the breezy airMoments later the arena and the stands were a sea of emotions as Kohli gently pushed Kagiso Rabada for a single in the 49th over The century came off 119 balls with 10 fours showing that he toiled hard for his runsHis arms were raised in triumph sweat streamed down his forehead and he seemed to retire into a little trance of his own as he gazed up at the sky The deeply introspective Kohli was savouring the moment for this was a day when the records tumbled at his feet For the Proteas though only one statistic they hit the lowest low after suffering the heaviest margin of defeat by runs in mens ODIsEntering the Eden after a run of seven successive victories by India Kohli was high on octane and low on sympathy for the inform and ambitious South African side seeking to shed the chokers tag and win its maiden World Cup title But they really can have no complaints after Kohlirsquos batting carnage helped the hosts take a vicelike grip on this contestHis innings were worldclass the type that shows a player in complete control of his game At times elegant at times destructive but always authoritative Both timing and placement were exquisite his lofty straight and square drives his flashy pulls and everything that came out of his scything willow last evening was a treat to the eyesBut if his stroke making was impressive the running between wickets was simply out of this world To bat an innings with a strike rate nearing 150 yet have little more than half your runs piled up in boundaries and maximums shows he is committed to mastering every aspect of his gameAlso ReadPace wins the raceBarring Keshav Maharaj who bowled his full quota at a stretch no other South African bowler could create an impact on an Eden wicket that became slower as the game progressed and aided spin Kohli sensed the occasion and scorched boundary after boundary to show who was the boss leaving the Proteas submissive and unresponsiveAt the halfway stage their mettlesome skipper Temba Bavuma would have felt they had one foot in the contest having left India deflated with twin bumper strikes within the first 11 overs Little did he know that Kohli was destined for greater things on SundayProbably chewing off what remained of his fingers Bavuma looked helpless as watched the ball speed away in nearly every overThat is the only thing to do with Kohli Enjoy watching him hit his bat against the ballBavuma knew there was no use searching for excuses or venting frustrations at his men Destiny had no unexpected turn instore and left him floundering for alternatives as his tactics were picked apartThe evening belonged to Kohli in all his unbridled glory