Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill smashed centuries as India defeated West Indies by eight wickets in the first ODI in Thiruvananthapuram.
India chased down the target with 50 balls left and took a 1-0 lead in the three match series.
West Indies scored 295/7 after being asked to bat first. Justin Greaves scored 101 runs, while John Campbell added 62. Kuldeep Yadav was India’s best bowler with four wickets.
India started the chase with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. The two added 74 runs for the first wicket before Alzarri Joseph dismissed Rohit for 32 off 35 balls.
Gill then joined Virat Kohli and the two completely changed the game. They added 151 runs for the second wicket and kept the West Indies bowlers under pressure.
Gill completed his century from 96 balls before Roston Chase dismissed him for 110 off 108 balls. His innings included 13 fours and one six.
But the biggest talking point was Virat Kohli. Kohli smashed his 55th ODI century from just 74 balls and finished unbeaten on 139 off 88 balls. He hit 10 fours and nine sixes as India moved closer to the target.
Kohli has looked even more aggressive since retiring from Test cricket. With ODI cricket now his only international format, he is playing with a different level of freedom. This was another reminder of what peak Virat can still produce.
After Kohli recently confirmed that the 2027 World Cup will be his final World Cup, Indian fans will now want to see as much of him as possible in ODIs.
Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad completed the chase for India. Gaikwad finished unbeaten on 13 as India completed a comfortable eight wicket win.
