Today, Virat Kohli celebrated his 35th birthday. Remarkably, on this day, he also tied the record of Sachin Tendulkar for the most ODI centuries (49). This happened during the 2023 World Cup match between India and South Africa held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Virat Kohli , an expert right-handed hitter, required only 277 innings to reach this record. In contrast, Tendulkar took 452 innings. In a splendid performance today, Kohli scored an impressive 101 runs off 121 balls. This included an astounding 10 fours.
The Delhi-born cricketer achieved his century in India’s 49th over. Kagiso Rabada delivered an outside-off length ball. For a single, Kohli punched it towards the covers. In reaction to a standing ovation from the fans and teammates, the former India captain removed his helmet and hoisted his bat.
Virat Kohli’s celebration may be seen below:
On his birthday, Virat Kohli scored 101 runs in his game. He is the third player to achieve a century on a birthday in the ODI World Cups. This club also includes Ross Taylor and Mitchell Marsh. Further, other players including Vinod Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Tom Latham have cranked out a ton on their birthdays in the past.
Kohli’s latest feat has allowed him to surpass Kumar Sangakkara’s record, currently ranking him third for the most runs in ODI World Cups. Yet, he remains behind Ricky Ponting, who has 1743 runs, and Sachin Tendulkar with 2278 runs.
Kohli has now become the second-highest run-scorer in the current 2023 World Cup, with 543 runs in eight matches, including two tons and four half-centuries.
Virat Kohli’s 100 helps India put up 327 for South Africa to chase
Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer batted brilliantly to help India reach 326/5 in their allocated 50 overs. In addition to Kohli, Shreyas Iyer hit 77 off 87 balls, including two sixes and seven boundaries. The pair put up a 134-run stand for the third wicket.
Meanwhile, India skipper Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja contributed 40 (24) and 29 (15) points, respectively.
Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, and Tabraiz Shamsi each took one wicket for South Africa.
Team India will now attempt to defeat the Proteas and extend their unbeaten streak to eight games. On November 12, the Men in Blue will play their last league game against the Netherlands at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.