After succumbing to defeat against India in the World Cup semi-final, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson commended Virat Kohli for surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI century record. Williamson praised Kohli’s outstanding feat, hailing him as the premier cricketer globally.
Virat Kohli solidified his standing as one of the ODI format’s greatest batsmen by breaking Tendulkar’s enduring record of centuries. Kohli achieved a historic 50th ODI ton, surpassing Tendulkar’s 49-century mark. In a stellar innings, Kohli scored an impressive 117 runs, securing his third century in the ongoing ODI World Cup.
He also exceeded 700 runs in the tournament, eclipsing Tendulkar’s record for the most runs in a single edition of the ODI World Cup. Kohli’s remarkable performance propelled India to a 70-run victory after setting a formidable target for New Zealand.
During the post-match press conference, Williamson was asked about Kohli’s record-breaking knock. He expressed his difficulty in finding words to describe it and acknowledged Kohli’s focus on winning games for his team. Williamson affirmed Kohli as the best, highlighting the worry he poses to teams worldwide and admiring his continuous improvement.
“I am trying to find the words to describe it really, and not just that, actually the way he goes about it, it is about winning games for his team and he is getting close and there is a lot of attention and that comes with a lot of his success. He is the best, isn’t he? And he seems to be getting better, which is a worry for opposition all around the world, but you admire it,” Williamson said.
In the high-scoring match, India, led by centuries from Kohli (117 off 113) and Shreyas Iyer (105 off 70), posted a massive total of 397/4. Despite a commendable 181-run partnership between Williamson (69 runs) and Daryl Mitchell (134 runs), New Zealand fell short, managing 327 all out in 48.5 overs. Mohammed Shami’s exceptional bowling performance, with figures of 7/57, overshadowed New Zealand’s efforts.
