<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>India's Virat Kohli won praise from the cricketing world on Monday after his third one-day international century in four matches silenced critics doubting his place in the team.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Kohli, 34, smashed an unbeaten 166 to lead India to the biggest-ever ODI win by 317 runs against Sri Lanka on Sunday, his 46th ODI ton and 74th in all formats.</div><div><br></div><div>The former captain ended last year with an ODI century against Bangladesh and began 2023 with another 113 in the Sri Lanka opener to announce his return as a run machine in style.</div><div><br></div><div>Kohli went through an extended lean patch last year, failing to reach three figures in over 1,000 days.</div><div><br></div><div>He quit as T20 skipper in late 2021 and in January 2022 was sacked from the ODI captaincy and gave up leading the Test side too.</div><div><br></div><div>"King Kohli" last week spoke again about his mental struggles during his dry phase, including how he had been "snappy" around his Bollywood actress wife Anushka Sharma.</div><div><br></div><div>"In my case, in denial, frustration was creeping in. I was very cranky, very snappy in my space," Kohli told the Indian cricket board's website bcci.tv.</div><div><br></div><div>"It was not fair on Anushka, my close ones, it's not fair on the people who support you. So I had to take responsibility and kind of put things in perspective."</div><div><br></div><div>- 'Different level' -</div><div>But he hit his first century after 1020 days in the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament in September last year and hasn't looked back since.</div><div><br></div><div>Veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle said, "the king is back to doing what he does best, scoring hundreds".</div><div><br></div><div>Kohli's long-time IPL friend and former teammate at Royal Challengers Bangalore AB de Villiers tweeted: "Virat Kohli! Different level."</div><div><br></div><div>"It's wonderful to see Virat Kohli back at his best in white-ball cricket, this unbeaten 166 was special even by his lofty standards," batting great VVS Laxman wrote on Twitter.</div><div><br></div><div>Sri Lanka batsman Angelo Mathews called Kohli a "modern great" and Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal said "he is the boss of this era".</div><div><br></div><div>Senior Indian journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, son of former India cricketer Dilip Sardesai, hailed Kohli as the greatest ever ODI player.</div><div><br></div><div>"Recall how only a few months ago there were those questioning @imVkohli future, esp (especially) in white ball cricket," Sardesai wrote on Twitter.</div><div><br></div><div>But citing Kohli's tournament-leading run tally at the T20 World Cup and two ODI centuries against Sri Lanka, Sardesai wrote: "the King is back". - AFP</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>