Team India are having a dream run in the ongoing ODI World Cup with seven wins from seven games. Almost every player has lived up to expectations so far, with Virat Kohli no exception. Kohli is currently just one short of equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s tally for the most centuries in ODIs – 49. The 48th ton came against Bangladesh, and in the last few matches, he twice came close to the three-figure mark but failed to reach it.
Now, on November 5, he will be in action against South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. This ground saw the first of his 48 ODI centuries. Apart from that, Kohli has come up with some tremendous knocks across all three formats at the venue. In 19 innings, he has 792 runs to his name, at an average of 46.58, including three centuries and five fifties. In 11 IPL innings, he has one century and a fifty.
107 vs Sri Lanka, 2009
The Lankans set India a 316-run target, and the home team had a terrible start. Both Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar got out and India were 23-2 after 3.4 overs. Kohli, then just 21, came in and stitched together a 224-run partnership for the third wicket. He got out after scoring 107 off 114 balls, his maiden ODI ton. Gautam Gambhir remained not out on 150 and India won the game. Gambhir was adjudged the Player of the Match but in a great gesture, he handed over the award to Kohli.
55* vs Pakistan, 2016
It was an India-Pakistan clash in the 2016 T20 World Cup and Sachin Tendulkar, the Master Blaster, was among those at the venue. In a game reduced to 18 overs a side, India were asked to chase down just 119. They were in a spot of bother after losing three wickets for 23 in 4.4 overs. But, Kohli kept his calm and scored 55* off 37 to ensure his team’s victory against the arch-rivals. It was an emotional moment for Kohli, to win the game in front of his idol, and the way he celebrated his half-century showed his respect for Tendulkar.
92 vs Australia, 2017
This knock came while batting first against Australia, and it turned out to be a crucial one as it helped India to post 252 runs on the board. Apart from Kohli’s 102-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane, India’s batters struggled to score and lost wickets at regular intervals. In reply, the visitors were bundled out for 202 and Kohli was named the Player of the Match.
136 vs Bangladesh, 2019
It was a new chapter in Indian cricket as they played their first-ever Day/Night Test at Eden Gardens against Bangladesh. It was a whole new experience for both fans and players but Kohli rose to the occasion. He lit up the iconic venue with a 136-run knock and became the first Indian batter to score a century in a Day/Night Test. That was Kohli’s 27th ton in the longest format of the game and his 20th as the Test skipper. He led the team to a thumping victory by an innings and 46 runs.
On his 35th birthday, Kohli will have a chance to add another memorable knock to his Eden Gardens catalogue. Thousands of fans will be hoping to celebrate the day with a record-breaking 49th century, to go along with another thumping win for the Men in Blue.