New Delhi: The news of Virat Kohli being back to domestic 50-over cricket created a tsunami of news which went well beyond the boundary ropes. His century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy not only anchored the effort to run Delhi, but it also had fans all over India glued to their TV sets, and Kohli-related Google searches surpassed one million in hours.

Google India took note of the rush, terming it as an undoubted mark of the unsurpassed draw of the batter. With his first Vijay Hazare Trophy match in 15 years and his first List A match in Delhi in over 10 years, Kohli fans followed each run in real-time and made an otherwise domestic match a national conversation.

Google India celebrates the search surge

The celebration on X was celebrated by Google India through posts. One comment said, “Refresh 181818 times on Search”, a cheeky nod to Kohli and his famous number 18 jersey and fans who live-track the updates. It was an indication of the extent to which his innings was being followed in the country.

Google disclosed the interest magnitude in another post. The match of Delhi vs Andhra Pradesh was the most searched topic on Google in India over the period of more than ten hours. Live score and match update searches passed one million, and Google added it up with the tagline ‘+1M Aura’.

A vintage Kohli knock for Delhi

On the field, Kohli delivered a classic innings. He made 131 out of 101 balls, including 14 fours and three sixes. His strike rate crossed 129. The knock was created based on timing, position, and running quickly between the wickets.

It was also a personal milestone of the century. Kohli has made 1,000 List A runs on behalf of Delhi. He has now scored 1,041 runs in 18 matches in the side at an average of above 65 with five centuries and four fifties.

Match situation and crucial performances

Andhra Pradesh had batted with 298 against 8 earlier when it was requested to bat. Ricky Bhui was the top scorer in the innings with 122 in 105 balls. Simarjeet Singh was exceptional, having made a five-wicket haul on behalf of Delhi.

The pursuit of Delhi started off on a bad foot. Kohli then continued with 113 runs involving Priyansh Arya. Later, he also had a 160-run partnership with Nitish Rana, firming the match to the control of Delhi before he fell.

Fans miss out, but the buzz remains

The spectators were not able to sit down and watch the game. The match was shifted out of the M Chinnaswamy stadium after the security permission was refused. The arena was not open to the audience.

Nevertheless, the reaction online was the story in itself. The domestic comeback of Kohli reigned all day long. It took just one innings to gain national attention, again showing the everlasting impact that he had on Indian cricket and its supporters.