Virat Kohli has the opportunity to make his 35th birthday a memorable one ahead of Team India’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match against South Africa.
The Indian team has already qualified for the World Cup 2023 semi-final, following their record-filled 302-run victory over Sri Lanka on Thursday.
India’s play against South Africa in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens stadium on Sunday, the day Kohli celebrates his birthday, could become the perfect platform for him to register the record for the most centuries One-Day Internationals (ODIs).
The star batsman and former Team India captain is just one century (100 runs) away from levelling with Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, who has a world record for registering 49 ODI tons.
Kohli knocked his 48th ODI hundred during India’s seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in Pune earlier in the tournament.
The soon-to-be 35-year-old batter has had many missed opportunities during the 2023 tournament to equal Tendulkar’s record.
In India’s match against New Zealand at the picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, Kiwi pacer Matt Henry had ensured Kohli didn’t script history against his side.
Kohli, who had come out to bat at No 3 when India was 71 for 1 during their chase of 274 runs, was caught at 95 runs by Glenn Phillips off Henry’s bowling in the 48th over.
The star batsman had walked back dejected after falling five runs short of a historic 100.
In the match against struggling England, Kohli was dismissed by fast bowler David Willey for a nine-ball duck at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium on 29 October.
Kohli also had another opportunity to emulate his idol Tendulkar in the match against Sri Lanka on Sunday. Just before the match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, a life-size statue of Tendulkar was unveiled in what could have been a symbolic victory for Kohli.
But this was yet another missed opportunity for the top-order batter as he got out for 88, leaving several of his eager fans heartbroken and making it Kohli’s third failed attempt at a century.
Kohli has, overall, neared a century but fallen short of scoring one thrice in the ongoing World Cup tournament in India, having been dismissed for 85 against Australia in Chennai and 95 against New Zealand in Dharamshala.
If Kohli reaches the landmark in any of the upcoming matches, it could become a more memorable moment for the cricketer from Delhi as it would take him fewer games than Tendulkar to level with the cricketing legend.
Tendulkar had scored 49 centuries in 463 ODI matches. Kohli currently has 48 hundreds in just 276 ODIs.
