During the World Cup semifinal match against New Zealand, Virat Kohli overcame his idol Sachin Tendulkar to become the only hitter in the history of the game to record 50 ODI hundreds.
When Kohli moved from 98 to 100 by working Kiwi bowler Lockie Ferguson square leg for a double, he achieved the milestone.
With the great Tendulkar himself present, Kohli—a man with a perfect sense of occasion—reached the landmark at the Wankhede Stadium.
The fact that Tendulkar batted in his final international match for India on November 15, a Test match against the West Indies at this location, added to the significance of the accomplishment. During India’s semifinal match against New Zealand here, Kohli also broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 673 runs in 2003 to become the highest scorer in a single World Cup.
He also became the tournament’s best run scorer, surpassing Quinton de Kock of South Africa (591), then Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand (565). In terms of the most 50-plus scores in international cricket, Tendulkar (264) leads the record, with Ponting (217) coming in second. Kohli is ranked third. 217 are Kohli’s.