No sooner did Virat Kohli complete a single in the third delivery of the 49th over, during India’s 2023 ICC World Cup match against South Africa, than the term ‘GOAT’ (Greatest Of All Time) began trending on all social media platforms. For, this was Kohli’s 49th ODI century, which sees him equal the record of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
India are playing their eighth match of the competition against the Proteas in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, which also happens to be the ground where Kohli scored his maiden fifty-over century, back in 2009.
Coming to bat in the sixth over, after skipper Rohit Sharma had laid a solid foundation with his 24-ball 40, the former captain paced his innings meticulously, with wicket preservation being the priority.
He remained unbeaten and accumulated 101 runs in 121 deliveries, which included 10 fours, but no maximums. Courtesy of Kohli’s knock on his 35th birthday, India posted a mammoth total of 326 runs.
Here’s how the Indian fans celebrated Kohli’s achievement:
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