By the Editor:
It couldn’t have probably come on a better occasion: His 35th birthday. Over 60,000 spectators at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata roared as Virat Kohli struck a single to bring up his 49th century in One Day Internationals, on Sunday. That was not just another century, it was one that equaled the number notched up by Sachin Tendulkar for his world record of 49 ODI hundreds. “Well played Virat. It took me 365 days to go from 49 to 50 earlier this year. I hope you go from 49 to 50 and break my record in the next few days. Congratulations!!” That was how Tendulkar responded to Kohli’s 49th hundred. Indeed, in the remaining few days of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup, Tendulkar’s wish could just come true given the way Kohli has played so far in the tournament; he already has two centuries under his belt with four half-centuries in eight league games so far.
Later, after his record-equaling innings, he would say, “Every opportunity to play for India is big one for me. To be able to do that on my birthday, in front of the whole crowd, it’s stuff of dreams, something that as a child you wish had happened… I am very grateful to God that I have been blessed with these kinds of moments, so much love from the fans as well and just continue to help the team in any way possible.” Kohli’s hundred continues a prolific year for him in ODIs. For the statistically inclined, he has more than 1000 runs with five centuries in 2023, at an average of 72.18 and strike rate of 99.82. It is the eighth time he has scored more than 1000 ODI runs in a year, surpassing – yet again — Tendulkar’s record of seven.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting put things in perspective in the context of Kohli’s performance in the rest of the World Cup when he said, ” That might be a bit of a monkey off his back, I think he has been working extra hard to equal Sachin’s record. That’s done now and it has happened at a really good time at the tournament for him. One more game to go and then they head into the semi-finals. It was an almost perfect day for Virat and a great day for India.” India hasn’t won a single ICC title since their 2013 Champions Trophy victory, when MS Dhoni was captain. Over the past few years, India has dominated world cricket, but have always choked in crucial situations in ICC tournaments, like their semifinal defeat versus New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup. Kohli is the only surviving member of the Indian team that won the 2011 World Cup at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai where a much younger Kohli had also lent his shoulder to take Tendulkar around after the victory that the team dedicated to the Master Blaster. Much of India’s dream to win a third World Cup title now rests on his shoulders.