'Hope you go from 49 to 50..': Tendulkar lauds Kohli for record-equalling 49th ODI ton

Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar (Pic: AFP)

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday congratulated Virat Kohli for equalling his record of most ODI hundreds in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 league stage clash against South Africa at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

The former India skipper got to the landmark in 119 balls, including 10 fours, at Kolkata's Eden Gardens. It has taken him 277 innings to score 49 hundreds at this level compared to the 438 required by Tendulkar.

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"Every opportunity to play for India is a big one, to be able to ton up on my birthday is a stuff of dreams," said Kohli whose century added to his ongoing total of over 26,000 international runs. Kohli's 101 not out was the centrepiece of unbeaten tournament hosts India's 326-5 in their 50 overs.

"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!!" posted Tendulkar on X (formerly known as X).

In 34 matches, Kohli has 1,573 runs at an average of 58.25, with four centuries and 10 fifties. His best score is 107. Sachin (2,278 runs) is the highest scorer ever in WC history. Sangakkara has 1,532 runs in his WC career.

Now in eight WC 2023 matches, Kohli has scored 542 runs at an average of 108.40, with two centuries and four fifties. His best score is 103'. He is the second-highest run-getter in the tournament so far.

He also continued his red-hot form against South Africa in ODIs. In the last 15 innings against SA in ODIs, Kohli smashed 1,091 runs at an average of over 109, with five centuries and five fifties.

Besides, Kohli equalled compatriot and legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI tons on Sunday. He is now just one century away from becoming the first player to smash 50 ODI centuries. The century is also Kohli's 79th in international cricket. Virat has smashed 49 centuries in ODIs, 29 in Tests, and one in T20Is. His record-equalling ton came at the same ground where he scored his first-ever international ton against Sri Lanka in 2009.

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The star batter has the second-highest number of centuries in international cricket, next to Tendulkar's 100 centuries. In bringing up his 49th ODI century, Kohli also joined an elite company of batters who scored a century on their birthdays. These elite members include Sachin himself, Vinod Kambli, Sanath Jayasuriya, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham and Mitchell Marsh.

119 balls is the joint-most balls Virat has taken for a century, with his century against Pakistan in 2015 at Adelaide and against South Africa in 2018 in Cape Town coming in the same amount of balls.

(With inputs from agencies)