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Virat Kohli birthday bash: Throwback to 49th ODI century that levelled Tendulkar in World Cup

Aakash Saini

Virat Kohli [Source: AFP Photos]Virat Kohli [Source: AFP Photos]

Few batters have commanded the cricketing stage quite like Virat Kohli, a modern all-format maestro whose pursuit of excellence has redefined the art of batsmanship in the 21st century. Renowned for his penchant of rising to the occasion, the legendary Indian batter has time and again turned high-pressure contests into exhibitions of composure even in the grandest of stages.

A couple of years ago, when Virat Kohli celebrated his 35th birthday, the cricketer once again demonstrated that very trait by crafting a landmark century against South Africa in Kolkata during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.

When Kohli levelled Tendulkar, bashed SA, maintained India’s unbeaten run with birthday ton

Virat Kohli unfurled his century number 49, doing so against South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens on November 5, 2023 in match 37 of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, serving a fitting birthday treat for his fans worldwide. Batting at number three, the prolific right-hander bashed 101* runs from 121 balls with 10 elegant boundaries as India mounted 326-5 in 50 overs against the likes of Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj.

The innings marked his second century of the tournament, and helped him level up with his childhood hero Sachin Tendulkar in terms of number of ODI tons, a feat long regarded as one of the most elusive milestones in 50-overs internationals.

Later in the game, fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami as well as spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav razed through the entire Proteas line-up for a paltry 83, with Jadeja being the pick of the bowlers with figures of 5-33.

To sum up, Virat Kohli’s batting masterclass and Ravindra Jadeja’s magnum opus with the ball helped India bulldoze second-placed South Africa by 243 runs in what was initially billed a thriller, as the ‘Men in Blue’ registered their eighth straight win in the 2023 World Cup.

And just like that, with the brush of a single century, Virat Kohli levelled up with the great Sachin Tendulkar, celebrated his birthday in style and pummelled South Africa to keep India’s unbeaten run in the tournament intact. It was a game that encapsulated everything Kohli stands for: brilliance under pressure, unwavering hunger and a flair for making the grandest moments his own.