On the momentous occasion of his 35th birthday, batting juggernaut Virat Kohli captivated a roaring crowd at Eden Gardens by matching Sachin Tendulkar's World record of 49 ODI centuries. Kohli achieved this historic milestone in the World Cup match against South Africa on November 5, Sunday to cement his status as a living legend in the annals of cricket history. And India's massive 243-run victory over Proteas was the cherry on the cake.
As Kohli notched up his century with a well-placed single off Rabada, the stadium erupted in celebration, capturing a visual feast that quickly went viral on social media. The crowd's joyous eruption marked the significance of the occasion as Kohli reached this monumental milestone.
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Amidst the celebratory roars, Kohli's legion of fans took to social media to hail his cricketing genius and the indelible mark he continues to make on the cricketing world.
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Meanwhile, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah joined in the chorus of applause with a tweet that echoed the sentiment of millions, "Virat Kohli smashes a magnificent century on his birthday against South Africa! What a brilliant performance on this special day! His century is a testament to his unparalleled skill, and this achievement equals the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI centuries. A remarkable milestone for a cricket legend!"
Kohli went on to score an unbeaten 101 off 121 balls riding on 10 fours with a strike rate of 83.47, to help India post a big total of 326/5. In reply, India rode on Ravindra Jadeja's brilliant fifer to bundle out South Africa to just 83 to continue their winning run.
Kohli's form throughout the World Cup has been nothing short of inspirational. Beginning with a suave 85 against Australia, he progressed to his 48th ODI hundred against Bangladesh, and now, with his latest innings, he joins the elite ranks of Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma as the third Indian to surpass 500 runs in a single World Cup edition.
Kohli took just 277 innings to notch his 49th ODI ton. Kohli's fellow teammate and India skipper Rohit Sharma is third in the list of most ODI centuries with 31 against his name followed by Australian legend Ricky Ponting (30) and former Sri Lanka's star opener Sanath Jayasuriya (28).
This was king Kohli's second century in the ongoing World Cup as the first one came against Bangladesh in Pune when he scored an unbeaten 103 to help India win the match.
Also, Kohli has now surpassed Kumar Sangakkara in tally of most fifty-plus scores in ODIs, achieving his 119th score of fifty or more. This milestone places him above Sangakkara's 118 and just behind Sachin Tendulkar, who leads the record with 145 instances of 50-plus scores in ODIs.
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