Virat Kohli smashes the 50th ODI century, becoming the first to smash 700 runs in the World Cup
On Wednesday, November 15, Virat Kohli etched his name in the record books, becoming the first and only cricketer in the world to score fifty ODI centuries in the history of the sport. Before Virat, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar was the only player to score 49 ODI centuries. Kohli equaled the record of 49 centuries set by Tendulkar in the format against South Africa, and the 35-year-old went past Tendulkar by scoring a century versus New Zealand in the semifinal.
Kohli surpassed not one, or two, but three records of Sachin on a single day, with a gritty knock against the Kiwis at Wankhede Stadium battling cramps to go past the three-figure mark. He became the first player to score a half-century of hundreds in the history of ODI cricket, and he also surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most runs in the World Cup.
Back in 2003, Tendulkar had scored 673 runs, which was the highest-ever total by a player in a single edition of the tournament, but Kohli’s century helped him go past Sachin’s tally.
Shortly after completing his 50th ODI century, Virat Kohli surpassed the 700-run mark and became the only player in the 48-year-old history of the World Cup to score 700 runs in the mega tournament.