On his 35th birthday, Indian cricket star Virat Kohli achieved a significant milestone by equalling the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of 49 One-Day International (ODI) centuries during India’s World Cup match against South Africa in Kolkata. Kohli’s remarkable feat came in the 49th over of India’s innings, as he reached his 49th ODI century off 119 balls with a single against Kagiso Rabada. Notably, Tendulkar had achieved his 49th century in his 451st ODI innings, while Kohli reached this milestone in just his 277th innings, during his 289th ODI match. He finished his innings unbeaten with 101 runs from 126 balls, contributing significantly to India’s total of 326.
Kohli’s outstanding performance in the 2023 World Cup includes two centuries and four half-centuries in eight league matches. He stands as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer, trailing South Africa’s Quinton de Kock, with an impressive average of 108.40 and a strike rate of 88.27. This marks the first time Kohli has scored more than 500 runs in an ODI World Cup.
Furthermore, Kohli’s exceptional form in the ODI format continues in 2023, with over 1000 runs and five centuries at an average of 72.18 and a strike rate of 99.82. This achievement represents the eighth instance in which he has scored more than 1000 ODI runs in a calendar year, surpassing Tendulkar’s record of seven such instances. Kohli’s consistency and excellence in ODI cricket continue to make him one of the sport’s all-time greats.
