Virat Kohli was the star of the show as India cruised to a 67-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first ODI of their three-match encounter in Guwahati. Sri Lanka faced a daunting chase of 374, and while most of their batters struggled to anchor the innings, captain Dasun Shanaka stood out with a magnificent undefeated 108. Despite his heroic effort, defeat was inevitable. India's bowling attack was led by Umran Malik, who finished with impressive figures of 3/57.
Virat Kohli stole the limelight as India registered a comfortable 67 runs win over Sri Lanka in the first ODI of the three-match series in Guwahati. Chasing a huge target of 374, the Lankan batters failed to play anchoring innings but their captain Dasun Shanaka fought a lone battle with a brilliant knock of unbeaten 108. However, Shanaka’s knock was not enough to avoid the defeat. For India, pacer Umran Malik starred with figures of 3/57.
India started their innings on a high note, with Shubman Gill and captain Rohit Sharma putting on a dominant 143-run opening stand. The partnership ended when Shanaka managed a breakthrough, trapping Gill (70) LBW. Rohit followed shortly after, exiting with 83 runs after being beaten by Dilshan Madushanka. Supporting acts from Hardik Pandya (39) and Shreyas Iyer (28) helped keep the scoreboard ticking.
Virat Kohli played a clinical innings, blending calculated aggression with stunning shot-making. He reached his 45th ODI century in the process, notably surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record by scoring his 9th hundred against Sri Lankan bowling. Kohli's rapid 113 off 87 deliveries was instrumental in pushing India's total to a formidable 373/7.
Sri Lanka's chase got off to a shaky start when Avishka Fernando fell for only 5 in the fourth over. Things worsened when Mohammed Siraj produced a lethal inswinger to bowl Kusal Mendis for a duck. Pathum Nissanka (72) and Dhananjaya de Silva (47) provided some much-needed resistance, but the innings crumbled once Mohammed Shami began taking wickets. While the middle and lower order collapsed, Shanaka remained defiant until the very last ball, ending the game with a six, though it wasn't enough to secure a win.