Virat Kohli is still the talk of the town — with his record-breaking hundred that beat legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time high of 49 ODI centuries.
Kohli made history as India took on New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The cricket star’s fabulous knock of 117 also enabled him to go past Tendulkar’s record for the most runs in an edition of the World Cup. His unimaginable feat enthralled fans and former cricketers in equal measure.
Following his incredible innings, Kohli was seen interacting with his “hero” Tendulkar. The two even shared a hug during the innings break. Sir Vivian Richards, Aravinda de Silva, Virender Sehwag and Diana Edulji were also seen congratulating him.
The clip of the heartwarming interaction was shared by ICC on Instagram. “Legends, legends and legends,” read the caption. We also get a glimpse of Kohli interacting with legendary English midfielder David Beckham.
Beckham gave a shout-out to Kohli after he breached the three-digit mark. Sharing a picture on Instagram Stories, the 48-year-old wrote, “Kohli [Crown emoji]. Record breaking 100.”
Tendulkar shared a heartfelt note on X, formerly Twitter, after Kohli broke his all-time ODI record. Recalling his first interaction with Kohli, the Master Blaster said: “The first time I met you in the Indian dressing room, you were pranked by other teammates into touching my feet. I couldn’t stop laughing that day. But soon, you touched my heart with your passion and skill. I am so happy that that young boy has grown into a ‘Virat’ player. I couldn’t be happier that an Indian broke my record. And to do it on the biggest stage – in the World Cup Semi-final – and at my home ground is the icing on the cake.”
Anushka Sharma, Kohli’s wife, was over the moon. “God is the best script writer! Utterly grateful to him for blessing me with your love, and to watch you grow from strength to strength and achieve all that you have and will, being honest to yourself and to the sport always. You are truly god’s child,” read her heartwarming post on Instagram Stories.
Novak Djokovic sent a congratulatory note to “legendary” Kohli.
Sourav Ganguly’s note for “an absolute master of the art” Kohli was too good to miss.
Harbhajan Singh has also congratulated Kohli for “breaking barriers and rewriting records.”
As per Virender Sehwag, Kohli’s performance was the “stuff of dreams.” He also lauded Kohli for his “ incredible hard work, hunger, perseverance and intensity.”
Pakistan legend Shoaib Akhtar congratulated team India and Virat Kohli in a video message.
Kohli’s milestone left ex-India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar spellbound. “Yes. It’s very difficult to put into words what it means, not just to him and his family, but to all those who love Indian cricket. Because, look, you always have people who have set the bar and the standard. Then you want somebody to come and raise the bar a little further, and that’s exactly what Virat Kohli has done with his performances,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports, as per news agency PTI.
“He has been absolutely superhuman in this particular World Cup. He has got almost 700 runs, 2 hundreds in this tournament, plus fifties in about six other innings,” the legendary India batter.
With 711 runs to his name, Kohli is currently the highest scorer (single edition) in the history of the World Cup. India will face the winner of today’s semi-final between Australia and South Africa on Sunday.