Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly praised Virat Kohli after the right-handed batter scored his record 50th ODI century in the first semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2023 against New Zealand in Kolkata on Wednesday (November 16).
Ganguly, a former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief, stated that he doesn’t know anyone who can possibly break Kohli’s record of 50 ODI centuries and also confirmed that he is just 35 and will continue to play more for India.
"I don't know if anyone can break such a record and Virat Kohli has not finished playing yet. He is only 35 and he will play more for India. It is a monumental achievement. I have played with Sachin all the time when he got to 49, we thought how big is that and he (Kohli) passed it. My congratulations to him also on the way he batted in this World Cup," Ganguly told ANI.
"It has been fascinating how the team has played in this World Cup. It is just unreal and fantastic to watch. Good wishes to every member of the team for the final match," he added.
Kohli reached this feat in his 291st match (279th innings) while Sachin Tendulkar scored his 49th century in 452 innings. He celebrated the legendary mark by bowing down in front of The Little Master — who was seen clapping for him in the stands.
Overall, Kohli has now scored 80 international Tons — 50 in ODIs, 29 in Tests and one in T20Is.
As the list of ODI centurions continues to expand, Rohit Sharma holds third place with 31 centuries in 253 innings, followed by Ricky Ponting with 30 centuries in 365 innings, and Sanath Jayasuriya with 28 centuries in 433 innings.
Most 100s in ODIs:
50 Virat Kohli (279 innings)
49 Sachin Tendulkar (452)
31 Rohit Sharma (253)
30 Ricky Ponting (365)
28 Sanath Jayasuriya (433)
It must be noted that India fled past Kane Williamson’s men by 70 runs to make way for the World Cup final and are one step away from being crowned the world champions.
- Virat Kohli