Virat Kohli birthday special (Source: AFP)
As Virat Kohli celebrates his 38th birthday, cricket fans have plenty of memorable moments to revisit from his illustrious career.
One of the most special came on November 5, 2023, when the former India captain celebrated his 35th birthday by scoring a magnificent century against South Africa in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.
At the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Kohli produced an unbeaten 101 off 121 deliveries, equalling Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI centuries. It was a special birthday gift for Indian cricket fans, as his innings helped India maintain their unbeaten run in the tournament.
When Virat Kohli equaled Sachin Tendulkar’s record with a Birthday century
India won the toss and elected to bat against South Africa, with both teams having already secured their places in the semi-finals. The hosts made a strong start, with Rohit Sharma scoring 40 off 24 balls before Shubman Gill departed for 23.
Virat Kohli then took charge alongside Shreyas Iyer, and the pair built a crucial 134-run partnership for the third wicket.
While Iyer played an impressive supporting innings of 77 off 87 deliveries, Kohli remained at the crease and kept India's innings together.
The Eden Gardens surface was not particularly easy for stroke-making, but the right-hander showed his trademark control, rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries.
Kohli reached his century in the 49th over, bringing up the landmark with a single off Kagiso Rabada. He finished unbeaten on 101 from 121 balls, striking 10 fours.
The knock took him to 49 ODI centuries, drawing him level with his childhood idol Sachin Tendulkar at the top of the all-time list.
India eventually posted 326/5 in their 50 overs, with Ravindra Jadeja adding an unbeaten 29 towards the end. Kohli's innings was his second century of the 2023 World Cup and took his tournament tally beyond 500 runs.
Thanks to Virat Kohli's masterpiece India complete a dominant 243-run win
South Africa had arrived in Kolkata as one of the strongest teams in the competition, but India's bowling attack delivered a remarkable performance. The visitors struggled against the Indian spinners and were bowled out for just 83 in 27.1 overs.
Ravindra Jadeja led the charge with five wickets for 33 runs, while Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav claimed two wickets each. Siraj also picked up a wicket as India secured a massive 243-run victory.
The win extended India's unbeaten streak in the group stage to eight matches and confirmed their place at the top of the standings. For Kohli, it was an unforgettable birthday: a World Cup century, a record-equalling milestone and a memorable victory in front of a packed Eden Gardens.
.jpg?type=mq "Virat Kohli picks his best ODI innings")
