Declaring Sachin Tendulkar his hero, Virat Kohli said he wouldn’t ever be able to match the cricket legend’s skill. Kohli matched Tendulkar’s record with his 49th ODI century. When asked about his unique moment of equaling his hero’s record, Kohli remarked as much during the post-match presentation, where he was declared the Player of the Match. The Indian player claimed that while Tendulkar was hitting at immaculate batting, he would never be as good as him and that Tendulkar will always be his hero.
After weeks of building anticipation, on his 35th birthday, Virat Kohli achieved the record-tying ODI hundred. With his performance on Sunday, Kohli became the third Indian player, after Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar, to surpass 500 runs in a single World Cup tournament. This year, Kohli has been in amazing form. With a magnificent 85 against Australia to start the Indian series, Kohli went on to smash his 48th century against Bangladesh. He then came within two runs of the target twice more, but on November 2 at the Wankhede Stadium, he was out for 95 against New Zealand and then fell for 88 against Sri Lanka.
On November 5, Kohli reached a noteworthy milestone as he tied Tendulkar’s world record with his 49th ODI century.
Kohli demonstrated his exceptional batting ability by reaching record-tying century on 119 balls. Not only was it his birthday, but it was also a memorable day for him due to the record. He thanked the audience for their support and called the experience “the essence of dreams.”
Given that Tendulkar required 451 innings to score his 49th century, Kohli’s feat is even more astounding given that he completed 277 innings.
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India accumulated a massive 326 in their 50 overs thanks to the star batter’s century. India won by 243 runs that day as South Africa was bowled out for 83 runs. This would prove to be sufficient.
Furthermore, Kohli conveyed the depth of emotion he felt throughout the encounter and the significance of receiving a specific message from Tendulkar.
It’s unique. Right now, it’s just too much for me to handle. For me, it’s quite special to tie my hero’s record. He is the epitome of hitting perfection; I grew up watching him. I’ll never measure up to him. He will always be my hero, no matter what.” It’s been an emotional journey for me. It means a lot to me to stand here and feel that gratitude from him because I am aware of my past.”
In one-day internationals, Virat Kohli is having one of his best seasons right now. During his innings against Sri Lanka, Kohli achieved his eighth calendar year of 1000 runs, surpassing Tendulkar. In 2010, he had achieved a near-miss with 995 runs. Kohli would hit more than 1000 runs in the ensuing four years, up until 2014.
