Kohli surpasses Tendulkar with 50th ODI ton in front of Master Blaster look full list here

New Delhi: Virat Kohli achieved a historic feat in the World Cup 2023 semi-final against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, as he scored his 50th ODI hundred and went past Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries. Kohli reached the milestone in style, hitting a six off Trent Boult in the 47th over of India’s innings. He remained unbeaten on 117 off 113 balls, as India posted 340 for 6 in 50 overs.

What made Kohli’s achievement even more special was the presence of Tendulkar himself in the stands, who witnessed the moment with pride and admiration. Tendulkar, who retired from international cricket in 2013, was invited by the BCCI as a special guest for the semi-final. He was seen cheering for Kohli and the Indian team throughout the match and also congratulated Kohli personally after the innings break.

Kohli also had another tribute to Tendulkar, as he batted near the Sachin Tendulkar end of the stadium, where a life-size statue of the Master Blaster was unveiled earlier this year. The statue, which depicts Tendulkar raising his bat after scoring his 100th international century in 2012, was installed as a mark of respect and gratitude for Tendulkar’s contribution to Indian cricket.

Kohli, who has often expressed his admiration and respect for Tendulkar, said that it was an honor and a privilege to break his record in front of him. He also thanked Tendulkar for being an inspiration and a mentor for him and many other young cricketers. He said that he dedicated his century to Tendulkar and the Indian fans, who have supported him throughout his career.

Kohli, who made his ODI debut in 2008, took only 277 innings to reach 50 ODI hundreds, while Tendulkar took 451 innings to score 49. Kohli also has the highest average (58.48) and the second-highest strike rate (93.55) among batters with over 10,000 ODI runs. He is widely regarded as the best ODI batter of his generation and one of the greatest of all time.

Here is a table of Virat Kohli’s ODI centuries: