Twitter went into overdrive after New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra's historic World Cup ton against England, trolling Virat Kohli in the process on Thursday.

Virat Kohli's mockery on social media came in the context of his poor record in run chases in ICC Cricket World Cups.

It came after New Zealand batters Devon Convey and Rachin Ravindra struck majestic centuries on their World Cup debuts against defending champions England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

 

Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra joined an elite list of cricketers who have scored a hundred on their World Cup debuts. Interestingly, the select group features Virat Kohli, the current king of ODI cricket.

After New Zealand won the toss and chose to field, the Kiwi bowlers stifled England's top order, never allowing them to score freely or deploy what they call the ‘Bazball' style of play that has won them so many games of late.

Except for premier batter Joe Root, none of the England batters got going in the contest, with the New Zealand bowlers pegging them back with wickets at regular intervals.

In the end, England could only finish with 282/9 for nine on the board on an easy-paced Ahmedabad track, with Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner being the pick of the New Zealand bowlers with figures of 3/48 and 2/37, respectively.

In reply, New Zealand began their innings on a worst possible note, losing Will Young for a golden duck in Sam Curran's first over, with their score reading 1/10 at that stage.

However, Young's departure brought Rachin Ravindra to the crease, who took little time to adjust to the pace and bounce of the pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Subsequently, alongside his partner Devon Convey, Rachin Ravindra unleashed a batting masterclass in Ahmedabad as both men fired on all cylinders to take the English bowlers to the cleaners.

It became all too easy for Devon Convey and Rachin Ravindra as they toyed with England's speedsters and spinners, romping to a lop-sided nine-wicket triumph with 13.4 overs to spare.

While Devon Convey remained unbeaten on 152 off 121 deliveries, Rachin Ravindra stayed not out on 123 off 96 balls, leaving defending champions England completely bruised with their onslaught of power hitting.

In the process, Devon Convey and Rachin Ravindra matched Virat Kohli's mega feat. Like the India talisman, who smashed a hundred on his World Cup debut in 2011, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Convey made centuries on their World Cup debuts in the 2023 edition of the event.

Virat Kohli scored an 83-ball unbeaten hundred against Bangladesh in the 2011 World Cup, marking a major milestone in his career.

Though Virat Kohli did not touch the three-figure mark in the following games, he did lay his hands on the World Cup trophy as MS Dhoni and his boys claimed the title dominantly at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

But to date, Virat Kohli has failed to score a hundred while chasing a target in the World Cup, highlighted by an X user, who appeared to take a jibe at the Delhi-born cricketer.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli's childhood coach, Raj Kumar Sharma, made a startling revelation about the talismanic India batter, underlining that he wanted to bat, bowl, and field all the time.

“Sachin Tendulkar was a genius who inspired thousands of youngsters to look at cricket as a career. Virat followed in his footsteps by working very hard with the devotion of a master craftsman. I call him a craftsman because he has set new benchmarks and crafted one great innings after another every year,” Raj Kumar Sharma told an Indian sports outlet.

“Virat never came late for the nets. He looked after his gear so well. He would not like stains on his pads and bats. He was always anxious to dominate. I worried for him sometimes when he insisted on playing in the senior group. I had to admonish him a few times, but then I realized he was ready to take guard at the next level. I gradually promoted him to play with the big boys, and he was soon towering above them with some amazingly consistent performances,” he added.

“He wanted to do everything: bat, bowl, and field. During a local under-15 game at the Picnic Hut ground, he was 12, and our team was in a spot of trouble, chasing a total of 220-230. He said, ‘Let me bat up the order, sir'… So, we promoted him, and he took us over the line by scoring a century. We won comfortably. Even though he always batted at no. 4, he'll pad up with the openers and will restlessly wait for his turn to go in,” Raj Kumar Sharma recalled.

“I remember a session we had before the tour to England in 2019. He had failed on the previous trip in 2014 [134 runs in five Tests]. I organized a grassy pitch and got hold of some bowlers who swung the ball well. We focused on how to leave the ball. I also advised him not to try and play every ball, as is his habit,” the reputed cricket coach revealed.

“He can produce his batting manual on how to play the big innings. He has done it innumerable times. His 82 not out against Pakistan in Melbourne [2022 T20 World Cup] should rank as the best by an Indian in the modern era. What pressure and what a tremendous response from Virat. He is a case study in producing match-winning shows,” Raj Kumar Sharma asserted.

“He knows what is best for him. He can change gears during his innings to speed things up and slow down to assess the situation better. His presence galvanizes the team. Just stay in the middle and mark his bowlers to attack. India needs him in the middle, and that is what I want him to remember,” he explained.

Raj Kumar Sharma also spoke about how Anushka Sharma has influenced Virat Kohli following their marriage in 2017.

“She has been a positive influence. Helping him stay focused and calm. Anushka has been his greatest support in difficult times when he failed with the bat. Virat is also a caring father, sharing parenthood duties like any doting father. He is at ease with whatever he does now to serve Indian cricket for a long time,” he summed up.