Virat Kohli equals Sachin Tendulkar's record for most ODI centuries on his 35th birthday

Virat Kohli hit his 49th One Day International against South Africa in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023. With this century, which came on his 35th birthday, he equaled Sachin Tendulkar's record for most ODI centuries.

Kohli's century, made on a slow Eden Garden's wicket, where shot making wasn't easy, helped India register a total of 326/6 in the first innings and came in 120 balls.

Virat's amazing run

From his early days, when he led India to a U19 World Cup victory in 2008 and made his international debut in the same year, Virat has consistently dominated headlines with his extraordinary run-scoring ability. Though his earliest admirers and observers had no doubts about his greatness, Virat has broken records, chased runs and won matches single-handedly at a frequency rarely seen before in world cricket.

Virat has represented India in 111 Tests, scoring 8,676 runs at an average of 49.29. He has scored 29 centuries and 29 fifties, with best score of 254*. He is India's fifth-highest scorer in Tests. Sachin is the highest Test run-scorer with 15,921 runs.

Notably, Virat has notched the fourth-highest number of Test centuries for India and is among the top 10 worldwide.

The Delhi-born batter is India's most successful Test captain ever. With 40 wins, 17 losses and 11 draws in 68 games, Virat boasts of an incredible resume as a captain. Under his captaincy, India earned five successive ICC World Test Championship maces, ending as the top-ranked side of the season for five successive years.

The aforementioned statistics and accomplishments make Virat one of the greatest ambassadors of red-ball cricket.

While delving into the raw statistics, it becomes abundantly clear that Virat might just be the finest ODI batsman ever.

During successful run-chases in ODIs, Virat has scored 5,786 runs at an average of 90.40 in 102 matches, with 23 centuries and 25 fifties in 96 innings.

He is also the fastest to achieve milestones of 8,000 to 13,000 ODI runs.

Virat has led India in 95 ODIs, winning 65, losing 27, one tied and two ending in no results.

In T20Is, Virat has scored 4,008 runs in 115 matches and 107 innings at an average of 52.73, with one century and 37 fifties. His best individual score is 122*.

He is the highest run-scorer in T20Is and has most number of 'Man of the Match' (15) and 'Man of the Series' (seven) awards in the format.

Virat has led India in 60 T20Is, winning 30, losing 16 and two each ending as ties and no results.

Overall in 514 international matches, before the India vs South Africa match, Virat has scored 26,209 runs at an average of 54.03, with the best score of 254*. He has scored 78 centuries and 136 centuries in international cricket. He is the fourth-highest run-getter in international cricket and second-highest for India. Sachin is the highest run-scorer in international cricket with 34,357 runs in 664 matches.

In 33 Cricket World Cup matches, he has scored 1,472 runs at an average of 54.51, with three centuries and 10 fifties. He is the fourth-highest run-getter in the tournament history, with Sachin at top with 2,278 runs in 45 matches.

Virat is the highest run-getter in T20 World Cup, In 27 matches and 25 innings, Virat has scored 1,141 runs at an average of 81.50, with 14 fifties.

A massive stat of Virat's prowess in T20I batting is that in nine successful run-chases at this tournament, Virat averages 518 and has seven fifties to his name. He has been dismissed only once in a successful T20 World Cup chase.

In ICC Champions Trophy, Virat has scored 529 runs in 12 innings across 13 matches at an average of 88.16, with best score of 96 and five fifties.

In 73 ICC event matches across 70 innings, Virat has scored 3,142 runs at an average of 66.85, with three centuries and 29 fifties.

Virat is also the part of Indian team which won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.

(With text input from ANI)