Virat Kohli’s heroic century inches closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s record in World Cup

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India’s cricket sensation, Virat Kohli, notched up his 48th ODI century, bringing him within striking distance of legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s record. Kohli’s century came in a match against Bangladesh at the MCA Stadium in Pune, propelling him closer to Tendulkar’s tally of 49 ODI hundreds. Kohli’s exceptional innings in India’s pursuit of a 257-run target against Bangladesh was nothing short of immaculate. He achieved his century in just 97 deliveries, amassing 103 runs, which included six boundaries and four sixes.

This remarkable performance also elevated Kohli to the position of the all-time fourth-highest scorer in international cricket. He now trails only Sachin Tendulkar (34,357 runs), Kumar Sangakkara (28,016 runs), and Ricky Ponting (27,483 runs) in this prestigious list, with a total of 26,026 runs in international cricket.

Notably, this century marked Kohli’s first in ODI World Cups since the 2015 edition. His recent form had been outstanding, with two fifties in the last three matches of the tournament. In addition to this, Kohli surpassed Brian Lara and Rohit Sharma to become the fourth-highest scorer in the history of ODI World Cups. He now stands behind Sachin Tendulkar (2278 runs), Ricky Ponting (1743 runs), and Kumar Sangakkara (1531 runs).

Kohli took to the crease after India lost the wicket of their skipper, Rohit Sharma, who had initiated a blazing start in Pune. Rohit contributed 48 runs from 40 balls, embellishing his innings with seven boundaries and two sixes before being dismissed by Hasan Mahmud.

Kohli notched up his half-century in just 48 deliveries and went on to forge vital partnerships with Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and ultimately, KL Rahul, steering India to a convincing 7-wicket triumph in Pune.