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On his 35th birthday, Virat Kohli's unbeaten century propels India to a commanding World Cup win over South Africa.
Virat Kohli has equalled the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 one-day international centuries, achieving this milestone on his 35th birthday in a thrilling World Cup match that saw India overpower South Africa with a 243-run victory.
Kohli's unbeaten 101 from 121 balls was the cornerstone of India's imposing total of 326-5 at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, leading to South Africa's collapse at a meager 89 in 27.1 overs. This victory cemented India's unblemished record, as they triumphed in all eight of their group-stage matches.
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The day was especially momentous for Kohli, who not only matched Tendulkar's record but also delighted the massive home crowd, which erupted into cheers as he clinched his century.
"Every opportunity to play for India is a big one and to do this on my birthday in front of a huge crowd is the stuff of dreams. It is something you dream about as a child," Kohli remarked, overwhelmed by the occasion. His innings were decorated with 10 boundaries, each one contributing to his status as the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament with 543 runs.
"To equal my hero's record is a huge honour," Kohli continued. "People like comparisons - I am never going to be as good as him. He is perfection with batting. It's an emotional moment. I know where I come from and to watch him on TV... his appreciation means a lot to me." Sachin Tendulkar himself took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to congratulate Kohli: "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!"
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Kohli's journey to this point has been significantly swifter than Tendulkar's, achieving his 49th century in 277 innings over 289 ODIs, in contrast to Tendulkar's 451 innings across 462 ODIs.
His ODI debut in 2008 against Sri Lanka was only the beginning of a career that would see him play alongside Tendulkar, including a World Cup victory against the same opponents in 2011.
With an average of 58.48 in ODI cricket and 65.24 in chases, Kohli has shown a remarkable consistency and an ability to rise to the occasion, often under pressure.
India's dominant performance extended beyond Kohli's batting brilliance. The innings was also bolstered by Shreyas Iyer's impressive 77 off 87 balls, and the finishing touches were added by Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, with Jadeja's 29 off 15 balls not out.
The bowlers wee not to be overshadowed either, with India's seam attack complemented by their spinners, particularly Jadeja who took a remarkable 5-33.
South Africa's performance was a stark contrast, as their strategy to chase backfired spectacularly.
Despite their impressive scores when batting first, the Proteas failed to adapt to the conditions and the pressure applied by India's bowling lineup.
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Temba Bavuma, South Africa's captain, conceded, "We didn't do that game a lot of justice," acknowledging the team's need to discuss and address their chasing strategy unemotionally.
Looking ahead, both captains expressed their focus on the upcoming challenges.
Kohli savored the victory and the special occasion, stating, "It was a big game and we were playing the toughest team in the tournament who have played well so far. Because it's my birthday it becomes more special."
Rohit Sharma, India's captain, emphasized the team's improving performance and the necessity to stay grounded: "We are not getting ahead of ourselves. There are a couple of big games [left]. We have to stay in the moment which has been the talk from day one. We want to show our potential."
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