Virat Kohli will be looking to register his 49th ODI hundred when India clash against Sri Lanka in their World Cup 2023 match on Thursday, November 2. Kohli will be equalling Sachin Tendulkar's all-time record and can become the first to 50 ODI centuries on his birthday on October 5.
The star Indian batter has been in sensational form across formats this year. He has scored 354 runs in the six innings with one hundred and three fifties in the ongoing tournament in India. Kohli narrowly missed out on equalling Sachin's record when he smashed 95 runs against New Zealand in Dharamsala but fans remain hopeful of the player's next century in the upcoming matches.
The Men in Blue next face Sri Lanka in their next game and have at least two more games where Kohli can equal or break Sachin's all-time record of most ODI centuries. Kohli talked about his remarkable achievements since making his international debut in 2008 and said that he never thought of scoring so many hundreds.
“If we talk about cricket, I had never thought of achieving all, as in where my career is and how god has blessed me (with) such a career span and performances," Kohli told Star Sports. "I had always dreamt I’d do this, but I had never thought things would pan out this way exactly. Nobody can plan these things, the way your journey is going, and the way things unfold in front of you. I hadn’t thought that I’d score so many hundreds and so many runs in these 12 years.”
With 78 international hundreds, Kohli is among the few cricketers who have displayed unbelievable consistency across formats. Kohli has definitely set new standards in terms of professionalism in sport and regularly displays his drive and discipline on and off the field.
"My only focus was that I should perform well for the team and win games for the team in difficult situations. For that, I made quite a few changes along the way regarding discipline and lifestyle. I always had the drive in me, but I lacked the professionalism. Now, I have a single-minded focus on how I want to play the game, and after that, the results I’ve achieved are from playing that way itself," Kohli added.
