India ended Asia Cup 2022 on a high note by thumping Afghanistan by 101 runs in their final Super Four game on Thursday at the Dubai International Stadium, even though they were already eliminated from the competition.
The talismanic batsman Virat Kohli offered Indian supporters several reasons to rejoice during a dead rubber. Kohli was elevated to open the batting position since captain Rohit Sharma was resting. Anyone could have predicted what happened next, so Kohli himself was taken aback.
With a spectacular career-best 122 off just 61 balls, packed with 12 fours and six sixes, at a strike rate of 200, Kohli snapped a 1020-day international cricket century drought.
Kohli surged spectacularly from 59 off 40 balls to get his next 63 runs off just 21 balls to make a historic 71st international century after an exhilarating opening stand of 119 off 76 balls, in which stand-in captain KL Rahul made 65 runs. India scored a massive 212/2 thanks to Kohli's century.
Then, senior bowler Bhuvneshwar's 5/4 stint, which included heavy swing and continuous right-field hits, destroyed Afghanistan's challenge and eventually limited them to 111/8 in 20 overs.
Less than 24 hours had passed since Afghanistan's heartbreaking one-wicket loss to Pakistan in Sharjah, so it was a day to forget for them. They missed catches, including one from Kohli on 28, were jaded, and weren't performing at their best.
India began to bat after the opening two overs produced no boundaries when Rahul and Kohli each smashed a four through leg-side off Fazalhaq Farooqui. Rahul then cut and drew off Fareed Ahmed for a pair of fours before drawing Mujeeb Ur Rahman through a backward square leg.
Before concluding the powerplay on a high note with a six smashed down the ground, Kohli entered the aggressive mindset by delivering Mujeeb for fours down down the ground and sweeping past backward square leg.
Rahul smacked a six from Rashid Khan after the power play, and Kohli was out on 28 when Ibrahim Zadran parried a mishit from Mohammad Nabi over the boundary rope for another six.
With an inside-out loft over extra cover as the highlight of his 32-ball fifty, Kohli appeared to be in excellent form. Rahul scored four consecutive fours off Nabi's pull and loft in the following over to reach his fifty in only 36 balls.
However, Rahul took Ahmed off in an attempt to score big and his top-edge soared to long-on. On his opening ball, Suryakumar Yadav casually flicked over fine leg for six. But Ahmed's next pitch saw him chop on to his stumps.
In his innings, Kohli showed off his ability to bat against spin by lofting Rashid over deep mid-wicket for six. He then increased the stakes by flicking consecutive fours off Ahmad and slamming a pair of fours through off-side off Farooqui.
Kohli reached his first T20I century in 53 balls after slamming Ahmed to the ground in the 19th over with a six high over deep mid-wicket for six. In the last over, Kohli continued to batter Farooqui, hitting him for sixes over long off and deep mid-wicket before smacking a four past cover to score 18 runs off the last over.
His undefeated 122, which combined both traditional and brutal cricket smashes, was scored at a strike rate of 200 and also holds the record for the highest T20I score by an Indian male batter. At 71 international centuries, Kohli is currently tied with former Australia captain Ricky Ponting for second-most all-time, behind Sachin Tendulkar of India, who has 100.
Bhuvneshwar was spot on with the ball right away, curving one back in to lbw Hazratullah Zazai. He hit an absolute jaffa two balls later to shatter Rahmanullah Gurbaz's stumps and send both of the openers back to the pavilion in the first over.
Bhuvneshwar had the hitters in Afghanistan dancing to his beat as he constantly pitched in the proper spots while swinging the ball both ways. Najibullah Zadran missed his flick and was caught lbw on an inswinger, while Karim Janat offered a heavy edge to the first slip on an outswinger.
Bhuvneshwar finished off his five-wicket haul by getting Azmatullah Omarzai to chip a knuckle ball straight to cover after Arshdeep Singh trapped Nabi lbw. Before holing out in the deep off Deepak Hooda's first ball, Rashid smashed a few boundaries.
While Mujeeb played the long handle against Ravichandran Ashwin, Zadran hit a few boundaries. Even though Ashwin eventually trapped Mujeeb, Zadran reached his fifty by hitting sixes against Dinesh Karthik in the penultimate over. But by that point, the outcome was already clear.