Stand-in Sri Lanka cricket team captain Kusal Mendis expressed regret for not extending congratulations to Virat Kohli following his 49th ODI century.
During a pre-match press conference ahead of their final league game against Bangladesh, Mendis, the Sri Lanka captain, surprised many by questioning the need to congratulate Kohli.
He clarified that he was unaware of Kohli’s milestone at the time, attributing his response to a misunderstanding of the journalist’s question. Kohli achieved this feat on his birthday against South Africa at Eden Gardens, drawing level with Sachin Tendulkar in the list of most ODI tons. Mendis acknowledged the difficulty of scoring 49 ODI centuries, highlighting Kohli’s remarkable achievement.
“I wasn’t aware that Virat Kohli scored his 49th ODI century. The journalist suddenly asked the question. I didn’t understand the question. Scoring 49 hundred is not easy. What I said was wrong, I’m feeling for it,” said the Sri Lanka captain.
In the 2023 World Cup, Kohli has been in exceptional form, becoming India’s top run-scorer with 543 runs in eight games, including two centuries and four fifties.
As India faces the Netherlands in their final league game, Kohli aims to add another century to his record, aiming for a higher standing in the list of most ODI hundreds. Kohli himself reflected on the significance of matching Tendulkar, expressing that such an accomplishment never crossed his mind in his wildest dreams.
