On his 35th birthday, Virat Kohli, India’s premier batter, achieved a significant milestone in the cricket world. He equaled his idol Sachin Tendulkar’s record by scoring his 49th One-Day International (ODI) century during a World Cup match against South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens. The crowd, chanting his name, witnessed the moment when Kohli reached this historic feat with a single off Kagiso Rabada in the 49th over of the innings.
Maintaining his impeccable form in the tournament, Kohli remained unbeaten on 101, facing 121 balls and hitting 10 boundaries. The expectations had been building up since the Indian team arrived in Kolkata, and Kohli’s performance did not disappoint, adding another feather to his illustrious cap.
Before this match, Kohli had come close to his 49th century in the game against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium, where he narrowly missed out, scoring 88, while the Master Blaster, Sachin Tendulkar, watched from the stands. In a previous encounter against New Zealand at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, he played a brilliant innings of 95 off 104 balls to secure India’s victory.
It’s worth noting that Kohli reached this milestone in 277 innings, while Tendulkar took 452 innings. However, a key distinction is that Kohli predominantly bats in the top order, whereas Tendulkar played down the order in about 80 matches before becoming an opener, with differences in playing conditions such as the number of fielders outside the 30-yard circle and the use of only one ball during Tendulkar’s era, compared to the current era with two balls and one less fielder allowed. Kohli’s achievement is a testament to his incredible talent and consistency in modern ODI cricket.
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