In the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final between India and New Zealand at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, Virat Kohli achieved a significant milestone by scoring his 50th ODI century, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most centuries in this format.
During India's innings, the former Indian team captain and prominent batsman, Virat Kohli, made history by surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI centuries, marking his 50th ODI century. An emotional moment ensued as Kohli's idol, Sachin Tendulkar, cheered and applauded him from the stands.
Tendulkar, present at his hometown stadium, witnessed the historic achievement and was visibly appreciative, applauding the 35-year-old cricketer. Kohli's gesture of respect towards Tendulkar included bowing down to the cricket legend after reaching this significant milestone.
Amongst the crowd were many other prominent dignitaries as well including David Beckham, John Abraham, Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani, Vicky Kaushal, Ranbir Kapoor and Virat Kohli’s wife, Anushka Sharma. They were all seen giving Kohli a standing ovation as he reached his hundred. This century marked Kohli's 80th international century and his third in the ongoing tournament.
Additionally, Kohli surpassed Tendulkar's World Cup record by amassing 673 runs in a single edition. Tendulkar held this record since the 2003 World Cup in South Africa until Kohli broke it in the city where Tendulkar's cricket journey began. Kohli eventually made 117 off 113.
India Put On Dominating Batting Position
In a separate historic achievement, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma made headlines by becoming the player with the most sixes in the history of the ICC Cricket World Cup during the semi-final match against New Zealand. Rohit Sharma, displaying exceptional form, provided India with a strong start by playing a brief yet impactful innings. He scored 47 runs off 29 balls, including four boundaries and four sixes, showcasing a strike rate of over 162.
Courtesy of a dominating batting performance, with hundreds from Kohli and Shreyas Iyer (105 off 70), India posted 397/4 in their 50 overs after electing to bat first.