On Sunday, Virat Kohli of India scored his 49th century in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), which is the same number as Sachin Tendulkar, a famous cricketer. This is a fantastic achievement, but it’s becoming quite normal for Kohli to play so well.
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What’s really special about him is how often he does it. On his 35th birthday, during a 2023 World Cup match against South Africa, he became the center of attention by reaching this milestone. In total, Kohli has 79 international centuries in three formats: one in T20Is and 29 in Test matches.
Back to Back Records For kohli On His Special Day
In the game against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Kohli reached a century (100 runs) in ODI cricket. This marked his 119th time scoring 50 or more runs in an ODI, surpassing Kumar Sangakkara’s record of 118 such scores. The all-time leader in this category is Sachin Tendulkar with 145 such scores.
During this match, Kohli also achieved another milestone by accumulating over 6000 ODI runs while playing at home. He is currently in second place on this list, with Sachin Tendulkar leading once again.
Furthermore, Kohli moved up the ranks in Men’s ODI World Cup run-scorers by overtaking Kumar Sangakkara, making him the third-highest run-scorer in the history of Men’s ODI World Cup tournaments.
On his 35th birthday, Kohli has climbed to third place in the list of all-time highest run-scorers in Men’s ODI World Cup, following Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting.
Additionally, he joined a select group of batters by surpassing 500 runs in a men’s ODI World Cup. He is only the third Indian to accomplish this, with Sachin Tendulkar achieving this feat twice and Rohit Sharma being the other Indian to do so.
Congratulations For Virat Kohli
Greatness meets greatness 🤝
— ICC (@ICC) November 5, 2023
No. 49 for King Kohli 👑#CWC23 #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/rA65nkMGXx
What Did Sachin Tendulkar And Sara Tendulkar Said For Virat?
Well played Virat.
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) November 5, 2023
It took me 365 days to go from 49 to 50 earlier this year. I hope you go from 49 to 50 and break my record in the next few days.
Congratulations!!#INDvSA pic.twitter.com/PVe4iXfGFk
God of Cricket 🇮🇳💙 pic.twitter.com/g6OEidgxlY
— Sara Tendulkar (@imsaratendulkar) November 5, 2023
India Inning Highlight
On Sunday, Virat Kohli displayed exceptional performance during the cricket match in Kolkata. He had to face a tough South African bowling attack and managed to score a century.
Kohli came to bat after Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain in good form, was out after making a quick 40 runs from just 26 deliveries. Shortly after Kohli’s arrival, the other opener, Shubman Gill, was dismissed by an incredible delivery from Keshav Maharaj, a South African spinner.
Kohli had a challenging time facing Maharaj’s bowling in the beginning. Maharaj managed to outfox Kohli on several occasions, and there was even a review for a possible edge off Kohli’s bat, but he survived. Despite these setbacks, Kohli, along with Shreyas Iyer, who scored 77 runs, worked together to rebuild the Indian innings. They relied on rotating the strike to keep the score ticking.
In the beginning of their partnership, Kohli took on the role of the aggressor, while Iyer, who had been under pressure in this World Cup for not converting strong starts, started cautiously. Kohli faced the South African spin challenge and reached a significant milestone of scoring a half-century in 67 deliveries.
As the partnership progressed, Iyer also found his rhythm, settled into his batting, and began to showcase a variety of shots. He reached his own fifty runs in the 31st over of the match.
When The Moment Arrive For King kohli?
In the 49th over, facing Kagiso Rabada, Kohli finally reached his long-awaited 49th century. He secured this milestone by taking a single on his 119th delivery in the innings. It was a significant moment for Kohli, and it happened on his 36th birthday during an important World Cup match. His century included 10 fours but no sixes.
This marked Kohli’s second century in the ongoing World Cup, along with five half-centuries, and his third century in the history of the tournament. In total, his 49th ODI century was also his 79th hundred in international cricket. Kohli is now 21 centuries away from equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 international centuries.
Also Read: VIRAT KOHLI GRAND 35TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT EDEN GARDENS
