"Bharat Ratna to the umpire"- Fans react as umpire Richard Kettleborough does not give a wide and allows Virat Kohli to reach century vs BangladeshÂ
Umpire Richard Kettleborough received huge applause from Indian cricket fans after he did not give a wide while Virat Kohli was batting on 97* against Bangladesh on Thursday (October 19).
The incident occurred towards the end of the 2023 World Cup match between India and Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. The Men in Blue needed two runs to win, while Virat Kohli was on strike with 97 runs.
Bangladesh left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed came on to the bowl the 42nd over. He bowled the first delivery down the leg side, and Virat Kohli could not do much as he swayed away from it. It clearly looked like a wide, but the on-field umpire, Richard Kettleborough, did not signal a wide, and the ball ended up as a dot.
After another ball, Kohli hit a six off a full toss and notched up his 48th ODI century. India won the match comfortably by seven wickets and continued their unbeaten streak in the ongoing World Cup.
Fans took note of Richard Kettleborough's umpiring call in favor of Virat Kohli and expressed their reactions on X. Here are some of the best ones:
I wanted to finish it off this time and hang on till the end: Virat Kohli
Speaking after the conclusion of the match, Kohli opened up about his desire to make a telling contribution for his team. He said:
"I wanted to make a big contribution. I've had a few fifties in World Cups and I haven't really converted them so I wanted to finish it off this time and hang on till the end. I was telling Shubman even if you dream about a situation like that, you don't go back to sleep. It was a dream to start with a four and a six."
Kohli concluded by adding:
"I was just looking to hit the gaps, run hard and get the boundaries whenever needed. It's a great atmosphere in the change room. We're loving each other's company, the spirit is there for everyone to see."
India will next face New Zealand on Sunday (October 22) in Dharamsala.