Kolkata: For Virat Kohli, who smashed a record-equalling 49th ODI ton in the league stage match of the ICC Cricket World Cup, an appreciation by legendary Sachin Tendulkar means a lot. Virat Kohli on Sunday equlled Sachin Tendulkar's record for most ODI centuries when he scored an unbeaten 101 against South Africa at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. India won the game by 243 runs.
Virat Kohli, who was adjudged as the Player of the Match said, "It is all too much for me to take in now, to equal my hero’s (Sachin Tendulkar) record is something special for me. He (Sachin Tendulkar) is perfection when it comes to batting." "It’s a very emotional moment for me, I know where I come from, I know the days when I watched him (Sachin Tendulkar) on TV. Just to get that appreciation from him means a lot to me," Kohli said at the post-match presentation.
According to Kohli, the game against South Africa was a big game and there was a motivation to do well. "Because it happened on my birthday, it becomes special and the people made it more special for me. I did wake up with that excitement that today is not just another game. People from the outside look at the game in a bit of a different way. When the openers start well, you feel it is a belter and everyone has to play that way.
"But as the ball got older, the conditions slowed down drastically. The message was clear, keep batting around me. I was happy from that perspective. Once we got more than 315, we knew that we were above par," explained Kohli. Kohli said he was happy and was enjoying the game. "I’m enjoying myself, playing cricket all over again, that is more important to me than phases. I’m just happy that God has blessed me with that enjoyment. I’m just happy that I’m being able to do what I have done over all these years," the former India skipper concluded.
