Virat Kohli has achieved a milestone that he described as “too good to be true.” The Indian cricketing sensation secured his place in the annals of cricket history during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup semi-final against New Zealand, where he not only became the first player ever to score 50 One Day International (ODI) centuries but also broke multiple records.
Kohli’s remarkable performance at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai saw him surpass the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s previous record, with the latter watching from the stands. Kohli’s brilliant innings of 117 propelled India to an imposing total of 397/4, the highest first-innings total in a men’s Cricket World Cup semi-final. Additionally, his remarkable feat made him the highest run-scorer in a single ICC Cricket World Cup, once again surpassing Tendulkar’s earlier record.
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During a brief moment of reflection at the innings break, Virat Kohli shared his thoughts on this historic achievement. “The great man just congratulated me; all this feels like a dream honestly. It’s too good to be true; it feels surreal,” he said with humility and pride.
“I never thought I’d be here ever in my career. Just to help the team so many times. Again, in a big game today, I had to play the role that I had to throughout the tournament so that the guys around me can go and express themselves. I’m just glad that everything came together so nicely, and we put up a great total on the board as well.”
Kohli’s century came on the back of a dazzling opening partnership between Rohit Sharma (47 from 29) and Shubman Gill (80* from 66), with the latter retiring hurt before returning late in the innings. With Kohli anchoring the innings at one end, Shreyas Iyer played a magnificent innings of his own, scoring 105 from just 70 balls, showcasing India’s tactical prowess.
“As I said a lot of times before, for me the most important thing is to make my team win,” Kohli emphasized. “And whatever it takes to do that, I’m ready to do that, whether it’s running singles and doubles, hitting boundaries, whatever the team wants me to do. I’ve been given a role this tournament, and I’m trying to play that to the best of my abilities, dig deep and bat long so that the others can sort of play around me.”
Kohli paid tribute to his fellow teammates, acknowledging their contributions to India’s commanding performance. “Anything over 330-340 you’re happy with. A lot of credit has to go to Shreyas, the way he came out and batted freely, Shubman at the top, Rohit at the top. I think everyone did their jobs to perfection.”
The Indian skipper also acknowledged the support of his loved ones during this historic achievement. “It’s the stuff of dreams,” he said. “Anushka was sitting right there, Sachin was there in the stands. It’s very difficult for me to explain this, but if I could paint a perfect picture, I would want this to be the picture. My life partner, the person I love the most, she’s sitting there. My hero, he’s sitting there. And I was able to get there in front of all of them and all these fans in Wankhede as well, such a historic venue. It was amazing.”
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