Kalkutta: Indian ace batsman and former skipper Virat Kohli celeberated his 35th birthday with a record-equalling 49th one-day international century in the match against South Africa on Sunday.
Virat Kohli says reaching on the day of his 35th birthday was the “stuff of dreams”.
The India batter drew level with Sachin Tendulkar’s haul with an unbeaten 101 against South Africa in the Cricket World Cup at Eden Gardens.
Kohli achieved the feat in 277 innings, while Tendulkar signed off his illustrious career with 49 in 452, hitting his final hundred in his penultimate ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur which was his 100th in international cricket.
During the innings Kohli lifted himself into third in the all-time run-scorers list in the competition’s history, and second in the 2023 tournament only behind Quinton de Kock.
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
“Every opportunity to play for India is a big one for me,” he said at the mid-innings after India finished on 326 for 5. “To be able to do that on my birthday, in front of the whole crowd, it’s the stuff of dreams, something that as a child you wish had happened.
“I am very grateful to God that I have been blessed with these kinds of moments, so much love from the fans as well and just continue to help the team in any way possible.
Tendulkar, who turned 50 years old in April, quickly took to social media to mark the occasion and backed Kohli to reach 50 hundreds before the end of the ongoing World Cup. Should India progress all the way to the final, Kohli is likely to have three more opportunities to reach three figures again and bring up another milestone.
“Well played Virat,” Tendulkar wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “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!!”
