Despite achieving his own remarkable milestones, Virat Kohli remains an ardent admirer of Sachin Tendulkar. On the day when he matched Tendulkar’s record of 49 One-Day International (ODI) centuries, Kohli openly confessed that he could never reach the same legendary status as the iconic Mumbaikar, who captivated the cricketing world with his extraordinary skills for decades.
Celebrating his 35th birthday, Kohli played a remarkable unbeaten inning, scoring 101 off 121 balls, a crucial part of India’s 326/5 total and their emphatic 243-run victory over South Africa in the World Cup match. During the post-match presentation, Kohli shared his thoughts, stating, “It is all too much for me to take in now, to equal my hero’s record is something special for me. He is perfection when it comes to batting. But I am never going to be as good as him.”
Kohli’s admiration for Tendulkar was evident as he added, “It’s a very emotional moment for me, I know where I come from. I know the days where I have been watched him on TV, and just to get that appreciation from him means a lot to me.” Tendulkar himself expressed his appreciation, saying, “Well played Virat! It took me 365 days to go from 49 to 50. I hope you go from 49 to 50 and break my record in the next few days. Congratulations.”
Kohli emphasized his enjoyment of playing cricket at this moment in his career, saying, “I’m enjoying playing cricket, that is more important to me than phases. I’m just happy that God has blessed me with that enjoyment. I’m just happy that I’m being able to do what I have done over the years.”
Regarding the match against South Africa, he mentioned that it was a motivating factor for the whole team, especially given that it coincided with his birthday, making it extra special. Kohli also acknowledged the crucial role played by openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in setting a strong foundation for the team, stating that India’s total on that day was above par. He noted, “People from the outside look at the game in a bit of a different way. When the openers start well, you feel it is a belter but the conditions slowed down drastically. I was happy from that perspective. Once you got more than 315, we knew that we were above par.”
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