When it comes to his international career so far, one won't be remiss in believing that Virat Kohli has the power of writing his own scripts. India's batting superstar equalled Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI centuries on his 35th birthday at Eden Gardens, the same ground where Kohli hit his maiden international ton. The unbeaten hundred helped India dismantle South Africa and register their eighth win in a row in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The hosts now head to Bengaluru for their last league match against Netherlands on Sunday, November 12. (Streaming | Preview | Scorecard | 3 Key Battles)
Kohli is India's highest run-getter in the tournament so far and has already stamped his authority on most bowling attacks. But it is hard to quench fans' thirst. After the record-equalling feat in Kolkata, the wait now is on for Kohli's 50th ODI ton, which would take him past Tendulkar. This is a milestone that was on all Indian cricket lovers' radar since the beginning of the World Cup, and after a couple of near misses, Kohli stands at its precipice.
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As this is India's last match before the all-important semi-final against New Zealand, Kohli might want to use the opportunity to get the big record out of the way before the knockout game. He would like to insulate himself from the outside noise and focus on the job at hand. Meanwhile, expectations continue to grow that Kohli could get to the milestone hundred at his IPL home, on the festive occasion of Diwali.
So far, Kohli has amassed 543 runs in the 2023 ODI World Cup. This is the first time that the former India captain is going past the 500-run mark in the 50-over World Cup. He had made 282 runs in 2011, 305 in 2015 and 443 in 2019, while Tendulkar, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma played the lead roles with the bat in those editions.
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Over the years, Kohli has become a limited-overs batting giant, breaking record after record in the 50-over format in particular. Beyong the records, though, it is his ability to single-handedly transform matches that is most cherished. India have lost just seven of the 49 ODIs where Kohli has scored a ton. This shows the impact of his knocks on the outcome of the match.
The effect is even more pronounced when it comes to run-chases, as has been well documented over the years. The 'Chase Master' has scored 27 of his 49 ODI centuries when India have batted second. His highest ODI score of 183 also came while chasing against arch-rivals Pakistan in Mirpur, during the 2012 Asia Cup.
It remains to be seen whether India will bat first or second against Netherlands on Sunday. Either way, a billion and more hearts will be aflutter in the anticipation of a special feat on a special day for a special cricketer.
