Virat Kohli expressed joy and gratitude after equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of 49 One-Day International (ODI) centuries during India’s World Cup match against South Africa at Eden Gardens. Kohli, who achieved this milestone on his 35th birthday, described the achievement as the “stuff of dreams,” especially doing it in front of a passionate crowd.
Reflecting on his innings, Kohli mentioned that batting on the tricky pitch was a challenge. Still, he and Shreyas Iyer managed to build a crucial partnership after the early dismissals of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Kohli emphasized the importance of batting deep and credited Iyer for his contributions, highlighting their ability to rotate strike against spinners.
Kohli’s record-equalling century came on his 277th ODI innings, which took Tendulkar 451 innings to accomplish. After reaching his hundred off 119 balls, Kohli remained unbeaten on 101 runs off 126 balls, guiding India to a formidable total of 326/5. He expressed his gratitude for the love and support from fans. He reiterated his commitment to contributing to the team’s success in any way possible.
Following Kohli’s achievement, Tendulkar congratulated him with a tweet, expressing his hope that Kohli would surpass the record soon. Kohli’s impressive form in the 2023 World Cup, where he scored more than 500 runs, contributed significantly to India’s undefeated streak in the tournament, making them the first team to qualify for the semi-finals.