Virat Kohli became the first batter in history to hit 50 hundreds in one-day internationals, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most runs scored in a single edition of the ODI World Cup.
Virat Kohli passed Sachin Tendulkar with his 50th one-day international century on Wednesday during India’s 2023 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. On November 5 at Eden Gardens, Kohli tied Tendulkar’s record for most ODI hundreds.Virat Kohli already has six hundreds in 2023. Kohli’s century against New Zealand is his fifth in ODI World Cups and his third of the tournament. He struck a century against Bangladesh in his World Cup debut in 2011 and another against Pakistan in 2015. Kohli had a terrific time with the bat in the 2019 World Cup, but he didn’t come away with any hundreds.Virat Kohli is now only the third Indian, after Sourav Ganguly and Rohit Sharma, to register hundreds in ODI World Cup quarterfinal matches. Ganguly scored an unbeaten 111 off 114 balls against Kenya in the 2003 World Cup semifinal, while Rohit hammered 137 against Bangladesh in the 2015 World Cup quarterfinal.
Virat Kohli has been in spectacular form at this World Cup. Kohli has broken several Sachin Tendulkar records during his incredible run. Kohli, 35, currently holds the record for most runs in a single edition of an ODI World Cup, as well as the most fifty-plus scores in any ODI World Cup. Kohli’s knock in the first semifinal also moved him beyond Ricky Ponting to third place on the list of most runs in one-day internationals.
In this World Cup, Virat Kohli has been the definition of consistency. Kohli has only failed to score more over 50 runs twice in ten matches, scoring 16 against Pakistan and being bowled for a duck against England. Kohli struck 85 against Australia in India’s first encounter, then an unbeaten 103 against Bangladesh before falling for 95 against New Zealand in Dharamsala in the group stages.
Virat Kohli could have scored his 49th century at the Wankhede Stadium earlier in the competition, but he was bowled out for 88 against Sri Lanka. On his birthday, the Indian run-machine finally surpassed his idol’s total of ODI hundreds at Eden Gardens.
Virat Kohl currently has 80 international hundreds, and at 35, he is on track to become only the second batsman in history to have 100 hundreds across all formats. Kohli rediscovered his form after a lengthy slump, scoring his first T20I century against Afghanistan and then an ODI century in Bangladesh.
So far in 2023, Virat Kohli is the second top run-scorer in one-day internationals. No other batsman has scored more ODI hundreds in a calendar year than Kohli.
