India's star batter Shreyas Iyer achieved a sensational feat on Sunday, November 12 when he smashed a scintillating hundred against the Netherlands in the World Cup 2023 match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Iyer's masterful innings of 128 runs off 94 balls not only steered India to a mammoth total 410 but also marked a significant milestone.
The right-handed batsman's century against the Netherlands was a watershed moment for him, making him the first Indian batter to achieve this feat in ODIs. Furthermore, Iyer joined an elite list of players to have scored a hundred at the high-scoring venue in Bangalore, a list that includes cricketing legends Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma.
Tendulkar and Rohit are the kings of ODIs in Bangalore, both having scored multiple centuries at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Rohit even took it a step further by converting one of his centuries into a double hundred back in 2013 against Australia. He also added another ton to his tally against the Aussies in January 2020.
Tendulkar, who bid farewell to international cricket in 2013, holds the distinction of scoring centuries against New Zealand in 1997 and England in the 2011 World Cup. Prior to that, on December 7, 2010, Yusuf Pathan exhibited his prowess with a remarkable 123 runs off 96 balls against the Black Caps in Bangalore.
Coming to bat at no.4 following the early dismissals of Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma, Iyer meticulously constructed his innings, reaching a well-deserved half-century off just 48 balls. His partnership with Virat Kohli, who also contributed a half-century before falling to Roelof van der Merwe, yielded a valuable 71 runs for the third wicket.
Thereafter, Iyer formed a crucial partnership with KL Rahul, stabilising the Indian innings and steering the team towards victory. Despite narrowly missing out on centuries in his previous matches against Sri Lanka and South Africa, with scores of 82 and 77 respectively, Iyer seized the opportunity against the Netherlands, showcasing his batting might to reach the coveted three-figure mark.
Rahul also struck a scintillating 102 off 64 which was studded with 11 fours and four sixes.
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