Following India’s remarkable victory over Pakistan in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla expressed his admiration for Team India, describing the win as “beyond people’s imagination.” Virat Kohli and KL Rahul’s explosive centuries, coupled with Kuldeep Yadav’s five-wicket haul, propelled India to a resounding 228-run victory over their traditional rivals at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

“Today Virat Kohli and KL Rahul did wonders, accumulating 356 runs with just 2 wickets down… India set a massive score… It exceeded everyone’s expectations in terms of the performance displayed,” Rajeev Shukla stated in an interview with ANI on Monday. He also highlighted Virat Kohli’s achievement of becoming the fastest player to reach 13,000 runs in international cricket, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

“Virat Kohli also completed his 13,000 runs in international cricket, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record, which is a monumental achievement. This victory is a significant milestone for us, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Indian team,” Rajeev Shukla added.

Notably, while Sachin Tendulkar required 321 innings to reach this milestone, Kohli accomplished the feat in just 267 innings. This achievement places him among an elite group of batters, with Ricky Ponting, Mahela Jayawardene, and Sanath Jayasuriya also taking more than 300 innings to achieve this milestone.

In this memorable match, Virat Kohli displayed brilliance by scoring a remarkable 122 runs off 94 deliveries, while KL Rahul, making his comeback after a substantial hiatus, smashed a breathtaking 111 runs from 106 balls. Kuldeep Yadav’s superb performance yielded his second ODI five-wicket haul, culminating in India’s massive 228-run victory. It’s worth noting that Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf did not even come out to bat during Pakistan’s pursuit of the target. With this resounding triumph, India secured the top position in the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four table.