World Cup 2023: 'GOAT legacy cemented' - Fans erupt as Virat Kohli equals Tendulkar's ODI centuries' record

Virat Kohli scripted history in front of a packed 70,000 Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday (Nov 5) evening by smashing his 49th ODI century, equalling Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record. Kohli's century meant that India posted a 327-run target on a challenging pitch where stroke-making was difficult and batters had to dig deep to score runs.

The milestone was made all the more sweeter as it came on Kohli's 35th birthday and after missing out on a century on the last two occasions. Fans on social media labelled Kohli as the greatest of all time (GOAT) as he cemented his legacy for the ages.

Batting first, India were off the blocks in a scintillating manner as skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill amassed 91 runs in the first 10 overs. However, the ball became slow afterwards and Kohli had to curb his natural game and take the game deep.

Playing XIs:

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj