Virat Kohli, the superstar of Indian cricket, matched Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most centuries in one-day international cricket after scoring his 49th century against South Africa in Kolkata, during the 37th match of the ongoing ODI Cricket World Cup 2023. Kohli’s century came off 119 balls and helped India secure a 243-run victory over South Africa. This milestone was even more special as it occurred on Kohli’s 35th birthday.
Kohli had also scored his first ODI century at the same venue 14 years ago. It’s worth mentioning that it took Kohli 277 innings to reach this milestone, compared to Tendulkar’s 451 innings. Kohli’s teammate and Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, is third on the all-time list with 31 centuries.
After his innings, Kohli expressed his gratitude for being able to play for India and to have such immense support from the fans. He also mentioned that his role was to bat deep and help the team, which he has been doing consistently over the years.
“Every opportunity to play for India is a big one for me. To be able to do this on my birthday in front of such a huge crowd is the stuff of dreams. Something you wish happens as a child,” Kohli said as quoted by Skysports.
“I am very grateful to be blessed with these kinds of moments and to have so much love from the fans. My role was to bat deep and bat until the end. That is what I have done over the years. Guys bat around me. I am going to try and continue to help the team in any way possible,” he added.