"Honour to equal my hero's record,": Virat Kohli gets emotional on equaling Sachin Tendulkar's record for most ODI centuries

Virat Kohli equaled Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries in CWC 2023 clash against South Africa.

It was a memorable birthday for Virat Kohli as India’s chase master played a magnificent knock against South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Virat Kohli smashed his 49th ODI ton to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s world record for the most ODI centuries. He is now just one shot away from making a world record in the ODI format and becoming the leading batter to score the most centuries.

Virat Kohli also touched a few other milestones and took a step forward to become the leading batter in several ODI batting records, chasing Sachin Tendulkar on most occasions. Virat is now the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to score 6,000 ODI runs in India. He also overtook Kumar Sangakkara (1532) to become the third highest run-scorer in World Cup. He is also now the third Indian batter to score a century on his birthday.

Virat’s big word on Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar reacted to Virat’s magnificent innings and wished him luck to go on further. Virat expressed that it was a special feeling for him to equal his master’s record. He said, “It is all too much for me to take in now; to equal my hero’s record is something special for me. He is perfect when it comes to batting. It’s a very emotional moment for me. I know where I come from, and I know the days I have watched him on TV. Just to get that appreciation from him means a lot to me.”

Virat Kohli also said that when he woke up today, he knew that it was not just another game for him on his birthday. He added, “It was a big game, probably playing the toughest team in the tournament. There was motivation to do well. Because it happened on my birthday, it became special, and the people made it more special for me. I did wake up with that excitement that today is not just another game.”

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Virat added 134 runs with Shreyas Iyer (77), which proved crucial to India’s total. India posted 326 runs against South Africa. Virat and Iyer had a cautious start to their partnership as India had lost two quick wickets after the first powerplay and a big partnership was needed. South Africa were bundled out on just 79 runs, and India won the game by 243 runs. Ravindra Jadeja picked up 5 wickets and also did well with the bat to score a quick 29 runs.

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