In a remarkable feat, Indian cricket maestro Virat Kohli has embedded his name in the annals of cricket history by becoming the first player to achieve 50 centuries in One Day International (ODI) cricket. The historic moment unfolded during the 1st Semi-Final of the ICC World Cup 2023, where India faced off against New Zealand at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Before this pivotal match, Kohli was sharing the record for the most ODI centuries (49) with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, an iconic figure in Indian cricket. Kohli surpassed this milestone during the 42nd over bowled by Lockie Ferguson, reaching the historic 50-century mark after facing 106 balls. His innings, adorned with eight boundaries and one six, showcased his exceptional batting prowess.
Meanwhile, the legend himself applauded Virat Kohli with encouraging words in his tweet.
However, the moment of glory was short-lived as Kohli’s innings concluded on the final ball of the 44th over bowled by Tim Southee. Devon Conway made a crucial catch at deep square leg, ending Kohli’s innings at 117 runs off 113 balls, including nine boundaries and two sixes.
Notably, this century marked Kohli’s 80th in international cricket, propelling him closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s legendary record of 100 centuries across all formats.
Yet he was not the only one to celebrate his milestone on the pitch, his wife back in the crowd expressed her pride in an adorable way.
In addition to achieving the 50th-century milestone, Kohli set another record by becoming the first player to amass 700 runs in a single edition of the ODI World Cup. This accomplishment surpassed Tendulkar’s previous record of 673 runs in the 2003 edition of the World Cup, solidifying Kohli’s status as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket.