Records tumble for Kohli as former captain zooms past idol Tendulkar with whirlwind century

Virat Kohli (Pic: AFP)

India vs New Zealand, ICC World Cup 2023 semi-final: Virat Kohli became the first batter in the history of the game to score 50 ODI centuries, going past his idol Sachin Tendulkar during the World Cup semifinal against New Zealand on Wednesday.

Kohli reached the landmark when he worked Kiwis pacer Lockie Ferguson to square leg for a double, moving from 98 to 100.

Kohli, a man with impeccable sense of occasion, achieved the milestone at the Wankhede Stadium with the legendary Tendulkar himself in attendance. The 35-year-old has scripted countless records in the sport across formats and continues to do so, including in the the ongoing ODI World Cup. Kohli's feats include scoring the most runs in international cricket among contemporary players.

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The whole heft of the achievement was magnified by the fact that November 15 also was the last time Tendulkar batted in international match for India, a Test against the West Indies at this venue.

Notably, three of the four previous tournament games at the Wankhede have been won by the team batting first, with the exception Australia's stunning defeat of Afghanistan, where Glenn Maxwell's remarkable 201 not out secured a three-wicket victory.

India won all nine of their pool matches, but were pushed hard by New Zealand during a four-wicket success in Dharamsala last month. New Zealand, by contrast, lost four games before qualifying for the knockout stages.

Exactly four years ago, the Black Caps defeated India in a World Cup semi-final in Manchester that spanned two days because of rain. India are bidding for a third one-day international World Cup title to add to their 1983 triumph in England and 2011 victory over Sri Lanka in a Wankhede final.

(With agency inputs)