Cricket
Happy Birthday Virat Kohli: India star chasing elusive second World Cup title and Sachin Tendulkar’s record
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Virat Kohli, one of the finest batters of the modern era, turns 35 on November 5 and this time around, the timing of his birthday couldn’t be more special.
A colossal figure in the game just for the accolades and runs he has scored, Kohli will have a few birthday wishes this time around as India are in the midst of a home World Cup campaign as the team aims to bring the trophy home after a gap of 12 years.
Kohli was a young rising star in 2011 when India won the World Cup and played some important knocks to see his team lift the big trophy at the end of the campaign. After coming close in 2015 and 2019 while captaining the side, the star batter seems to be on the top of his game this time around.
ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023: Full Coverage | World Cup 2023 Points Table
Kohli’s performance in the World Cup 2023 has been described as his best ever. He has already scored a hundred, an unbeaten 103 against Bangladesh in Pune, and four fifties. The hundred against Bangladesh moved the 35-year-old one step closer to equalling a record set by Sachin Tendulkar.
This is not the only record Kohli would be chasing this time at the World Cup.
Kohli aims to be the first Indian player to win two World Cups
Indian cricket has seen some of the biggest legends of the game wear its iconic jersey, but none of them have been able to win two ODI World Cups during their career. The likes of Kapil Dev and Tendulkar were able to win one but Kohli has a chance to make it two.
And he is turning no stone unturned in this pursuit. Kohli has scored 442 runs in seven innings so far in the World Cup and is in the top three highest run-getters of the tournament. Apart from a rare failure against England, the star batter has made a big splash and seems to be in prime touch at the moment.
He narrowly missed out on hundreds against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, which brings us to the next big record he looks to achieve possibly in the World Cup.
Kohli looking to scale Tendulkar’s ODI hundred tally
The moment Kohli got out against Sri Lanka for 88, silence quickly engulfed the Wankhede stadium. The fans in Mumbai were eagerly waiting to see the star batter match the tally of one of their favourite sons and an icon in the game.
Kohli has got to 48 ODI hundreds with his knock against Bangladesh and many have predicted that he would break it during the World Cup. Sunil Gavaskar went one better a few days ago predicting Kohli to score his 50th ODI hundred on his birthday.
While that cannot happen at the moment, expect the star batter to put in a performance to equal Tendulkar’s tally and hopefully get the big win for India against the Proteas.
With India all set for the World Cup clash against South Africa, Eden Gardens is slowly getting set to welcome one of the finest of our times out on to the iconic ground on his birthday. Big celebrations are planned to celebrate the man, that is Kohli.
While there will be noise and chatter around him about records on his special, we can expect the star batter to do one thing he has done throughout his time.
If you think it is to go about silently with his work, well you’re mistaken. Expect Kohli to be his passionate and intense self which we have become accustomed to over the years.
It was the same man who brought home the U-19 World Cup while captaining the side and we can expect no changes on November 5 when India face South Africa at the Eden Gardens.
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