Virat Kohli levels Sachin Tendulkar with record-equalling 49th ton against SA

During the match against Sri Lanka, Kohli had an opportunity to achieve the milestone but was dismissed by Dilshan Madushanka when he was just 12 runs shy of the mark at 88

By Chandra Moulee Das Updated: Nov 5, 2023, 21:51 IST

Virat Kohli 49th ODI century?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4

After much anticipation, Virat Kohli finally reached his landmark 49th ODI ton and leveled the legendary Sachin Tendulkar during the ongoing match between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens. India have already sealed their berth in the semi-finals but a win in this match will establish a dominion force at the top of the table and for the remainder of the tournament.

During the match against Sri Lanka at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, Kohli had an opportunity to achieve the milestone but was dismissed by Dilshan Madushanka when he was just 12 runs shy of the mark at 88. Earlier in the World Cup, Kohli showcased his prowess with a century against Bangladesh at Pune's MCA Stadium.

"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!!," Tendulkar posted on Instagram.

Virat Kohli surpasses Sachin Tendulkar in another record too

Virat Kohli achieved yet another noteworthy feat, surpassing a significant record held by the Master Blaster. Kohli became the second cricketer and the quickest to amass 6,000 ODI runs from a single nation.

Sachin Tendulkar accumulated a total of 6,976 runs from 164 ODIs. It took him 145 innings to reach the 6,000-run mark whereas Kohli achieved this milestone in just 119 innings. The third-highest run-scorer on home turf, after the two Indian cricketing legends is former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, who has amassed 5,406 runs in 135 innings.

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In the 50-overs format, only four batters have surpassed the 5,000-run mark with Kohli ranked second, having amassed an impressive 5,336 runs and trailing only 150 runs behind Kumar Sangakkara. The former India skipper's average stands at an outstanding 60.13 in home ODIs and an impressive 55.58 in away matches.

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