Birthday boy Virat Kohli equals Sachin Tendulkar’s ODI ton record.

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Batting maestro Virat Kohli equalled Sachin Tendulkar as he hit his 49th ODI century against South Africa in the ICC World Cup 2023 match at the Eden Gardens Stadium on Saturday, November 05.

Kohli, on his 35th birthday, got to the landmark in 119 balls, including 10 fours, and raised his bat to celebrate the momentous occasion at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

It had taken him 277 innings to score 49 hundreds at this level compared to the 438 required by fellow India 2011 World Cup winner Sachin Tendulkar.

Kohli’s 101 not out was the centerpiece of India’s 326-5 before their powerful attack cleaned up as Rohit Sharma’s men made it eight wins out of eight at the tournament.

Together with Shreyas Iyer (77), he shared a third-wicket partnership of 134 after India captain Rohit had won the toss.

India, fresh from dismissing Sri Lanka for just 55 — the lowest total by any Test side at a World Cup — during a 302-run rout of the 1996 champions, sparked another collapse as South Africa were dismissed for 83.

It was the Proteas’ second-lowest ODI total, behind their 69 against Australia at Sydney in 1993 and lowest at a World Cup.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja did the bulk of the damage with 5-33, with India now assured of finishing the pool phase in top spot, while South Africa lower-order batsman Marco Jansen’s 14 was the innings’ top score.

This was South Africa’s second pool defeat following a stunning loss to non-Test side Netherlands and the gap between the top two teams on Sunday was almost as much of a shock as that reverse.

Kohli, now averaging more than 108 in the World Cup, said during the innings break: “Every opportunity to play for India is a big one, to be able to ton up on my birthday is the stuff of dreams. It is something you dream about as a child.”

The 35-year-old has tremendously bounced back in form this year, with his average in 2023 being his highest in five years since 2018 when he rounded off the year with an astonishing average of 133.56.

Kohli hit a low in 2022, averaging only 27.45, but his comeback since the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has unleashed a new form and rediscovered form of the batter, who now stands on level with Tendulkar for the most tons on ODI cricket history.