Virat Kohli, who turned 35 today (Sunday, November 5), equaled Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most ODI tons (49) during the 2023 World Cup clash between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The right-handed batter took just 277 innings for the record, while Tendulkar played 452 innings for it. The birthday boy finished with an unbeaten 101 off 121 balls, including 10 fours, on Sunday.
The Delhi-born cricketer reached his ton in the 49th over of India’s innings. Kagiso Rabada bowled a back-of-a-length ball outside off. Kohli punched it towards the covers for a single. The former India captain removed his helmet and lifted his bat in response to a standing ovation from the crowd and teammates.
Watch Virat Kohli’s celebration below:
During his 101-run knock, Kohli became only the third player to smash a century on his birthday in the ODI World Cups after Ross Taylor and Mitchell Marsh. Overall, Vinod Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Tom Latham have also slammed tons on their birthdays.
With the ton, Kohli also eclipsed Kumar Sangakkara’s record for third-most runs in ODI World Cups. He, however, is still behind Ricky Ponting (1743) and Sachin Tendulkar (2278).
In the ongoing 2023 World Cup, Kohli has now become the second-highest run-getter with 543 runs in eight matches, including two tons and four half-centuries.
Virat Kohli’s ton helps India set 327-run target for South Africa
A clinical batting performance from Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer helped India post 326/5 in their allotted 50 overs. Apart from Kohli, Shreyas Iyer slammed 77 off 87 deliveries, including two sixes and seven boundaries. The duo shared a 134-run partnership for the third wicket.
Meanwhile, India captain Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja also chipped in with scores of 40 (24) and 29 (15).
For South Africa, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, and Tabraiz Shamsi settled for one wicket apiece.
Team India will now look to beat the Proteas and extend their unbeaten run to eight games. The Men in Blue will play their last league game against the Netherlands at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on November 12.
Follow the IND vs SA 2023 World Cup live score and updates here.
