World No.1 Tennis great Novak Djokovic expressed admiration for Virat Kohli as the Indian batter notched up his 50th ODI hundred during India's World Cup 2023 semi-final against New Zealand at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on November 15.
Surpassing Tendulkar's record for the most ODI centuries, Kohli's stellar performance drew praise from Djokovic, who labelled him a 'legendary' figure in an Instagram story.
Kohli took the crease after Tim Southee dismissed Rohit Sharma for 47 runs. He secured his place in the history books as the first player to achieve 50 ODI hundreds, reaching his century in 106 balls. Despite facing cramps in the 90s, Kohli successfully attained his milestone century, marking his third in the ongoing tournament.
He also surpassed Tendulkar and now holds the record for most runs in a single World Cup edition. Tendulkar scored 673 runs in the 2003 edition of the World Cup while Kohli now has 711 runs to his name.
Kohli's departure left India in a formidable position at 327/2 in 44 overs. Shreyas Iyer then took over with his second consecutive ODI ton, contributing to their commanding total of 397/4 in 50 overs.
The former India skipper also surpassed Sachin's record for the most runs in a single World Cup edition, further solidifying his cricketing legacy. After achieving his century, Kohli paid homage to Tendulkar, who applauded from the stands.
Tendulkar scored 673 runs in the 2003 edition of the World Cup while Kohli now has 711 runs to his name.
Meanwhile, Djokovic concluded 2023 as the ATP's No.1 player for the eighth consecutive year, establishing a record as the oldest world No.1 at 36. Engaged in the ATP World Tour Finals, Djokovic is set to face No.9 seed Hubert Hurkacz.
Having recently triumphed at the US Open 2023, Djokovic is poised to resume Grand Slam action at the Rod Laver Arena during the upcoming Australian Open. The Serbian tennis maestro continues to dominate the world rankings, showcasing his enduring excellence on the global tennis stage.
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