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[Saba Sports News] In the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, India extended their victorious streak by defeating New Zealand by four wickets on Sunday, October 22, at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. Opting to bat first, New Zealand, led by Daryl Mitchell’s impressive 130 off 127 balls, posted a total of 273 runs in their allotted 50 overs.
In response, India successfully chased down the target in 48 overs, thanks to another exceptional performance by Virat Kohli, who scored 95 runs from 104 deliveries. This victory marked India’s fifth consecutive win in the ongoing World Cup and earned Kohli widespread acclaim from cricket experts worldwide.
His wife and Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma also lauded his performance by sharing clips of Kohli’s innings on her Instagram story, along with messages like “Always Proud of You” and “Storm Chaser.”
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Despite his remarkable innings, Kohli narrowly missed achieving his second consecutive century in the tournament. He was dismissed while attempting a big shot over deep mid-wicket, caught by Glenn Phillips in the deep when India was just five runs away from victory at 269/6 after 47.4 overs.
Kohli’s quest to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most ODI centuries (49) fell short by just five runs. He had recently scored his 48th ODI hundred against Bangladesh in Pune. With four league matches and knockout games remaining in the tournament, Kohli still had ample opportunities to surpass his cricketing idol in this ongoing extravaganza.
Furthermore, Kohli became the leading run-scorer in the ODI World Cup 2023 during this match, accumulating 354 runs from five matches at an impressive average of 118 and a strike rate of 90.53. He also notched up one century and three half-centuries in the tournament.
Following this victory, India ascended to the top of the points table with ten points from five matches. Their next challenge would be against England on Sunday, October 29, at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.