On his birthday, the batting maestro Virat Kohli achieved his 49th One-Day International century, equaling the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most centuries in the format. This eagerly awaited milestone was reached as Kohli reached three figures after facing 119 deliveries, his century was secured with 10 boundaries.
Kohli’s remarkable century was achieved against South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata during India’s eighth ODI World Cup match. Kohli’s century not only marked his 49th ODI, but also made him the first batsman to achieve 50 centuries in white-ball cricket, including all those 20 centuries against Afghanistan.
This century held special significance for Kohli as he reached his record-equalling ton on his 35th birthday. In his sensational performance, Kohli achieved another milestone by becoming the third Indian batsman, following in the footsteps of Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli, to score a century on his birthday.
Kohli, who had already secured a century in this World Cup with an unbeaten 103 against Bangladesh, had narrowly missed the opportunity to equal the record on three occasions. He was dismissed for scores of 95, 88, and 85 in matches against New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Australia, respectively.
This marked Kohli’s fourth century in ODI World Cups. In addition to his century, he achieved the distinction of becoming the second Indian batsman, following Sachin Tendulkar, to score 3000 runs against South Africa. Furthermore, Kohli crossed the 500-run mark in a single World Cup for the first time in his career on Sunday.
