By: Aditya Ahuja
Star Indian batter Virat Kohli celebrated his 35th birthday with a record-equalling ton. He matched the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record by scoring his 49th One-Day international century against South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The crowd erupted with joy as Kohli reached his century, taking 119 balls to do so
With the brilliant effort, Kohli also became the third Indian batter after Sachin and Vinod Kambli to score a century on his birthday.
It is worth noting that Sachin Tendulkar reached this milestone after 451 innings and 462 matches, whereas Kohli accomplished it in just 277 innings and 289 ODIs.
In addition to this remarkable feat, Kohli today also became the second-highest run-scorer at the ICC Cricket World Cup, amassing 542 runs in 8 games.
Kohli's journey in ODI cricket began in 2008 when he made his debut against Sri Lanka. He had the privilege of playing alongside Tendulkar during the early stages of his career, including their triumphant World Cup campaign in 2011.
Before the South Africa game, Kohli boasted an impressive ODI batting average of 58.04, the highest among players with 50 or more matches. Additionally, his record in ODI chases was outstanding, with an average of 65.24, and an impressive 27 of his 49 centuries were achieved while chasing targets.
It is important to mention that while Tendulkar still holds the record for the most ODI career runs at 18,426 and the most Test centuries with 51, Kohli stands at joint 16th on the list of Test centuries with 29. This reflects Kohli's stature as one of the modern greats of the game.
