Virat Kohli achieved a millstone in the cricketing world on Wednesday after he scored his 50th century surpassing cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar’s 49.
Apart from a brilliant personal feat, Kohli’s well-thought-out innings helped India cement a foundation going onto post a 398 runs target to the Kiwis at Wankhede in Mumbai.
Moments after KL Rahul hit the last ball of the Indian innings for a four, Kohli told the broadcasters how “being there at the middle of the pitch today was a stuff of dreams”.
“Today is special. It was a perfect picture – the person I love the most (wife, Anushka Sharma) is in the galleries along with my hero (Sachin Tendulkar). And I could score my 50th hundred in front of them. This is perfect,” he told the presenter.
Tendulkar, who stood up to applaud the feat, was all praise for Kohli’s “effortless-looking” knock.
“He made it look easy. I still remember the first day when he got into the Indian dressing room, the others played a prank on him and got him to touch my feet. They said, you have to do this, as it’s a tradition. From that day till now, he has been a phenomenon,” said Tendulkar, discussing his innings with a panel of experts.
Tendulkar also has a different connection with November 15. This was the day when the Little Maestro had hung his boots playing his last match for India in international cricket ten years ago.
On that day, playing a watchful innings against West Indies, Tendulkar had amassed 74 runs in his 200th match.
And today, Kohli, playing his 279 innings, reached 100 off 106 balls making him the first cricketer to have 50 centuries under his belt.
Earlier on November 5, Kohli had matched Tendulkar’s record, securing his 49th ODI hundred on his 35th birthday at Eden Gardens, where he also notched his first century in 2009 against Sri Lanka.
