Virat Kohli reached a remarkable milestone by equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most One Day International (ODI) centuries, achieving his 49th century against South Africa at the Eden Gardens on November 5. The historic moment came in the 49th over of the Indian innings when Kohli scored a single, amidst cheers from the enthusiastic Eden Gardens crowd.
In a recent match against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium on November 2, Kohli had come close to securing his 49th ODI century but fell just short, getting dismissed on 88.
It’s worth noting that Kohli achieved this 49th century in 277 innings, whereas Tendulkar took 452 innings to reach the same milestone.
Former South African pacer Shaun Pollock made an interesting observation, highlighting that Virat Kohli’s cap number is 175, and the innings difference between Sachin and Virat at 49 ODI centuries is exactly 175.
Shaun Pollock said, "Virat Kohli's cap number is 175. The innings difference between Sachin and Virat at 49 ODI centuries is exactly 175". pic.twitter.com/GI90zWu4lg
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 5, 2023
Ravindra Jadeja played a pivotal role by taking five wickets, leading the formidable Indian bowling lineup in dismantling the South African batting order and restricting them to a mere 83 runs. This dominant victory saw the hosts triumph by a substantial margin of 243 runs, preserving their unbeaten record in the tournament.
In this match, Virat Kohli celebrated his 35th birthday in style, scoring an unbeaten 101. He formed a remarkable 134-run partnership for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer, who contributed 77 runs.
Captain Rohit Sharma also provided a quick start with a rapid 24-ball 40. Suryakumar Yadav’s brisk 22 off 14 balls and Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 29 off 15 balls added the finishing touches to India’s total, culminating in a commanding score of 326 for 5 against South Africa.
