I wanted to make it special for him: Gautam Gambhir on Virat Kohli’s maiden international hundred

In December 2009, India’s batting powerhouse Virat Kohli recorded his first ODI century against Sri Lanka. The Indian team was chasing a tough 316-run mark at the time, and the ‘Men in Blue’ romped home with seven wickets to spare. Kohli smashed 107 off 114 deliveries while batting at number four.

In that match, experienced Indian hitter Gautam Gambhir produced a thrilling 150 not out for the ‘Men in Blue,’ and he had a brilliant 224-run partnership with Kohli. Gambhir earned the Player of the Match award at the end of the game, but he presented it to Kohli. The gesture has finally been accepted by the southpaw.

The former cricketer admitted to not doing something he shouldn’t have done. Gambhir claimed that the first international hundred is important for any player, adding that Kohli may reach 100 international hundreds.

Gambhir was first named player of the match, but after scoring his first ODI century, the veteran player handed it over to the kid and a Delhi teammate to honor him.

“I didn’t do anything I shouldn’t have done. You might go on to score 100 international hundreds, which I am sure he will because that’s the kind of player he is but you will always remember your first international hundred. I remember my first international hundred that was in Bangladesh and the first ODI hundred against Sri Lanka,” Gambhir told Jatin Sapru on the latter’s YouTube channel.

“So I wanted to make it special for him and that’s not something I or anyone else shouldn’t have done. That’s the kind of nature I have and that’s the kind of player he was. And what he has done, I am absolutely not surprised with what he’s achieved, and he’ll go on to achieve many more things,” he added.