Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli achieved a remarkable milestone at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, equaling Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of 49 One Day International (ODI) centuries. Kohli reached this feat in his 277th innings, much to the delight of his fans who are eagerly anticipating his 50th ODI century. The Indian cricket team is hopeful that Kohli will achieve this milestone during the upcoming ODI World Cup.
Numerous former players congratulated Kohli on his extraordinary achievement. However, Sri Lankan star Kusal Mendis had a peculiar reaction when asked if he would like to congratulate Kohli on his 49th ODI century. Mendis, who was addressing a press conference ahead of his team’s World Cup match against Bangladesh, responded by saying, “Why would I congratulate him?” before bursting into laughter. The video of his response quickly went viral on social media.
In addition to equaling Sachin Tendulkar’s record, Kohli surpassed Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara to become the third-highest run-scorer in ODI World Cup history. Kohli achieved this milestone during the ongoing World Cup clash with South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens.
During the match, Kohli scored 101 runs off 121 balls, displaying impeccable timing and control with 10 fours and a strike rate of 83.47. In his World Cup career, Kohli has scored 1,573 runs in 34 matches at an average of 58.25, including four centuries and 10 fifties. His highest score in the tournament is 107. Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the highest run-scorer in World Cup history with 2,278 runs, while Sangakkara finished his World Cup career with 1,532 runs.
In the ongoing World Cup, Kohli has been in exceptional form, scoring 542 runs in eight matches at an average of 108.40. He has registered two centuries and four fifties, with a best score of 103*. Currently, he is the second-highest run-getter in the tournament.
Kohli has also maintained his impressive performance against South Africa in ODIs. In his last 15 innings against them, he has scored 1,091 runs at an average of over 109, including five centuries and five fifties.
With his record-equalling century, Kohli now has a total of 79 international centuries to his name. Out of these, 49 have come in ODIs, 29 in Tests, and one in T20Is. Interestingly, Kohli’s first-ever international century was also scored at the Eden Gardens against Sri Lanka in 2009.
Furthermore, Kohli has joined the elite group of players who have scored a century on their birthdays. This list includes Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli, Sanath Jayasuriya, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, and Mitchell Marsh.
Virat Kohli’s remarkable achievements in international cricket continue to solidify his position as one of the greatest batsmen of all time.
