Sachin Tendulkar has a wish. That Virat Kohli goes from “49 to 50” much sooner than the 365 days it took him to turn a year older.
On Sunday, Kohli got to the ’49’ – the record-equalling number of ODI centuries with Sachin Tendulkar. India’s batting superstar referred to his feat as “stuff of dreams” and opened up how just equalling his “hero’s record” was a “very emotional moment” for him.
“Every opportunity to play for India is a big one. To be able to ton up on my birthday is stuff of dreams,” Kohli said in the innings break at the iconic Eden Gardens, immediately after his record feat. “Grateful to God that I’ve blessed with such moments.”
After India sealed a massive victory over South Africa by 243 runs, Kohli was a bit more open about his feelings around the hundred that put him at par with Tendulkar in the ODI format.
“To equal my hero’s record in ODIs is something that is a huge honour for me,” he said during the post-match presentation ceremony. “I know that people like comparisons but I am never going to be as good as him [Sachin]. There’s a reason why we’ve all looked up to him. He’s perfection when it comes to batting… he’s always going to be my hero regardless of what happens. It’s a very emotional moment for me. I know where I come from, I know the days that I’ve watched him play on TV, so just to stand here and get this appreciation from someone like him means a lot to me.”
Did he have a sense that playing another top team on his birthday, and at the Eden Gardens in front of about 65,000 people, would be special?
“First things first, it was a big game. Probably playing the toughest team in the tournament we’ve played so far, to be very honest. They played some amazing cricket so there was this motivation of wanting to do well for the team. Because it happened to be my birthday obviously it becomes a bit more special. People made it a bit more special for me.
“I had this sense of… it’s going to be something more than one more game in the World Cup. I did wake up with that excitement,” Kohli revealed.
After a few years of low returns, Kohli is back to his usual run-scoring ways but he’s more grateful for being able to enjoy the game, a feeling he admitted to having lost somewhere in the middle of playing all the cricket.
“I would say I am enjoying myself playing cricket all over again. That to me is more special than thinking about phases [in my career] as such. I think in a phase when things are not working well, you’re not enjoying yourself, that’s what I take out of it. You’re still able to score runs because of your experience, but being out there even for those 50-60 runs is not as enjoyable as it is right now.
“I am just happy that god’s blessed me with that enjoyment again and I can do things for the team that I’ve done for so many years again.”
After his 101 not out against South Africa, Kohli’s run-tally in World Cup 2023 stands at 543 runs, only seven behind Quinton de Kock in the top spot. It’s already Kohli’s highest tally in an ODI World Cup, and he still has at least two more games to go in this edition. At this rate, Tendulkar’s wish could just be around the corner.
