CWC 2023: Najmul Hossain Shanto Says Bowling Wide To Deny Virat Kohli 100 Was Not The Intention

Earlier Virat Kohli was slammed for choosing to slow down his innings for selfish interest as he wanted to complete his 48th ODI hundred.

After the 'no-wide' controversy erupted on social media that had everyone talking whether umpire Richard Kettleborough did the right thing or not in not giving a wide to the delivery of Nasum Ahmed, the Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has made a big statement. 

The controversy is that the umpire was wrong in not giving the wide which appeared as one when looked by naked eyes in real time. Social media was brutal on Richard, accusing him of making a bias decision to allow Kohli score hid 48th ODI ton. But that does not seem to be the case as Richars seems to have taken into account the kaw change on wide balls. 

There was another controversy that the bowler Nasum Ahmed intentionally bowled a wide to Kohli, who was on 97 as he allegedly wanted to deny the Indian batter his hundred. Bangladesh's stand-in captain Shanto has come to the defence of his bowler, saying that there was no such intention. "No, no. There was no such plan. It was a normal plan. No bowler had the intention to bowl a wide ball. We tried to play a proper game. It was not intentional," Shanto said in a press conference.

Kohli was also criticised for slowing down his innings to reach the landmark of 48 ODI tons. Later, his batting partner KL Rahul revealed that he pushed a hesitant Kohli to complete his hundred as the star India batter was not sure how it would look like chasing his personal milestone. "I denied single to Virat Kohli, he said it would be bad if you won't take singles, people will think I am playing for personal milestone. But I said we are comfortably winning, you complete your century," said Rahul in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Kohli broke several records, also closing in on the gap between him and another India great Sachin Tendulkar with the century. Tendulkar has 49 ODI centuries to his name while Kohli has 48. He needs one more to equal Tendulkar and two more to go past the legendary cricketers. Kohli also became the fastest to 26,000 international runs when he strokes the unbeaten 103 vs Bangladesh.