Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) gifted Virat Kohli with a golden bat on his 35th birthday at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on November 5. CAB President Snehasish Ganguly who is the brother of former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly presented the golden bat to Kohli after he was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ award for his unbeaten 101 which helped him equal Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 centuries.
After the 243-win over South Africa, Kohli also thanked the ground staff at Eden Gardens, the same venue where he scored his maiden ODI century. He posed for a photo with the ground staff as well.
CAB also had a special cake made for Kohli for the ceremony.
In the post-match presentation, the former Indian skipper recalled watching Tendulkar on TV as a kid like millions of Indians.
"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," added Kohli.
Kohli who is India’s leading run-scorer in World Cup 2023 also said that he is enjoying his batting at the moment.
"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," the 35-year-old said.
Kohli had his sight set on the goal against South Africa long before the coin toss was flipped as they have dominated sides in the tournament with the exception of the Netherlands.
"It was a big game, probably playing the toughest team in the tournament. There was a motivation to do well. Because it happened on my birthday, it becomes special and the people made it more special for me," the 35-year-old added.
Kohli also explained that the situation in the middle changed after the first powerplay overs.
"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 form that perspective. Once you got more than 315, we knew that we were above par," he further added.
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