Virat Kohli’s missed opportunity to hit 49th hundred in Mumbai can be blessing in disguise for his RCB fans

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Virat Kohli missed out on the opportunity to hit his 49th ODI hundred and equal Sachin Tendulkar's record for most three-figure scores in the format, after getting out for 88 against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, November 3.

Equalling Sachin Tendulkar's record at the home ground of the batting great would have been a special feat for Virat Kohli. The Delhi batter has idolised Sachin Tendulkar since his childhood days. The two even shared a hug before the start of the match - the 33rd in the ongoing World Cup 2023.

Kohli missed the opportunity in Dharamsala as well. The right-hand batting star was out for 95 in the match. In his last outing against England, he was dismissed for a duck.

The 34-year-old looked all set to equal the elusive ODI record in Mumbai. He had struck eleven glorious boundaries already in the innings. His second wicket partnership with Shubman Gill accounted for 189 runs. But he fell to a slower ball from Dilshan Madushanka in the 32nd over. The soft dismissal saw Kohli playing the ball straight into the hands of a short cover fielder.

The dismissal broke the hearts of millions, especially those present at the Wankhede Stadium who were left stunned. Kohli equalled Kumar Sangakkara's record for second-most (118) fifty-plus scores in ODIs but the elusive 49th hundred was denied once again.

Why RCB fans will rejoice Virat Kohli's missed opportunity to hit ODI 49th hundred in Mumbai

RCB fans might be rejoicing that Virat Kohli missed the opportunity to hit his 49th hundred in Mumbai. India will play their next match on Virat Kohli's birthday (November 5) against South Africa at the Eden Gardens. Kohli would aim to bring up his 49th in the City of Joy.

India's last group-stage match is scheduled to be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium - the home of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Bengaluru. The RCB fans would want to break Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record for most ODI hundreds in Bengaluru against Netherlands.

Virat Kohli, who has pledged to play for RCB till the end of his career, will also not mind reaching the milestone in Bengaluru. The fact that her lady love and wife Anushka Sharma grew up in Bengaluru, will also inspire the batting maestro.