‘Stuff of dreams… something you wish for as a child’: Virat Kohli after equalling Sachin’s 49 ODI tons on 35th birthday | Cricket-world-cup News

Virat Kohli drew level with Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar at 49 ODI centuries at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata as India posted an imposing total of 326/5 against South Africa in their Cricket World Cup match. That the milestone-equalling century came on the day that Kohli turned 35 was an added bonus.
“Every opportunity to play for India is a big one for me, and to be able to do this (49th ODI hundred) on my birthday in front of such a huge crowd at the Eden Gardens is the stuff of dreams. It’s something that you wish for as a child. So I am very grateful to God that I am blessed with these kinds of moments. So much love from the fans as well. Just continue to try and help the team in any way possible,” Kohli said in the mid-innings interval.

Tendulkar, meanwhile, welcomed Kohli on Mount 49 with a witty tweet.
“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!!” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

It took Tendulkar 451 ODI innings to get to 49 tons. Kohli strolled there in just his 277th innings (in his 289th match). After getting to the milestone on his 119th ball, he ended the night unbeaten on 101 runs off 126 balls.
He was ably supported Shreyas Iyer (who scored 77 runs off 87 balls). Talking about his partnership with Iyer, he said: “We had a lot of practice sessions before we went to the Asia Cup. Shreyas and I invariably batted together. As No 3 and 4, we batted together against spinners. I would joke to him that this was the partnership that had to take centrestage through the middle overs. So both of us are very comfortable rotating the strike against spinners. And then whatever loose balls he got, he put them away, so credit to him.”
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“It was a wicket that was a bit tricky to bat. I think we got a great start through Rohit and Shubman. When I got in, my job was to keep that momentum going but as soon as ten overs got over, the ball started gripping as the ball got older. So me and Shreyas wanted to string a big partnership. When we lost Rohit and Shubman within ten overs, my role was to bat deep and bat till the end, because that’s what I have done over the years and that was the communication from the team as well, that I bat and guys bat around me. And then Shreyas started hitting a few. We were not thinking we would get to 327 [326] but that’s what happens when you take deep and take the game into the last few overs, you can get a few more than you would have thought.
“According to me, the total is well above par. The way the ball was gripping through the middle overs, it wasn’t easy to get hold of the bowlers. And we have a quality bowling attack. We will have to work hard, a few breakthroughs and then the pressure starts mounting as the wicket gets slower and slower. Hopefully, we start well with the new ball,” he added.
Unbeaten India are currently on top of the standings with South Africa second.