5 incredible records Virat Kohli shattered during the India vs New Zealand 2023 World Cup semi-final
Virat Kohli was once again the man of the moment for Team India in a 2023 World Cup clash.
The Men in Blue elected to bat against New Zealand in the first semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday, November 15. They made a mockery of the Kiwi bowling, with Rohit Sharma's fiery powerplay cameo setting the tone for the innings.
Kohli carried on from there to notch up a superb century, one that played a big role in India reaching 397/4. In the process, the superstar No. 3 batter achieved several milestones and went past some greats of the game.
Here are five incredible records Virat Kohli broke during the 2023 World Cup semifinal between India and New Zealand.
#5 Virat Kohli scored India's first-ever World Cup hundred at the Wankhede Stadium
The Wankhede Stadium previously hosted five World Cup matches involving India, but none of them featured centurions from the home team. Given the stature of the venue, it was a rather curious stat.
Kohli became the first Indian to record a World Cup century at the Wankhede Stadium with his effort against New Zealand. One brings two, as they say, and Shreyas Iyer quickly followed him into the exclusive list.
#4 Virat Kohli now has the most ODI centuries in history
#50 eluded Virat Kohli a couple of times in the 2023 World Cup, but it finally came against New Zealand. With Sachin Tendulkar in attendance, Kohli went past The Master Blaster to record the most ODI centuries in history. This is a record that will probably stand the test of time.
#3 Virat Kohli holds the record for the most runs in a single edition of the World Cup
With his knock against New Zealand, Virat Kohli became the batter with the most runs in a single edition of the World Cup. In 2023, the 35-year-old has tallied 711 runs at an average of 101.57 and a strike rate of 90.68, with five fifties and three hundreds.
The record was previously held by that man again, Tendulkar. The batting great amassed 673 runs at an average of 61.18 and a strike rate of 89.25 in the 2003 edition of the World Cup, in which India reached the final.
Quinton de Kock, Rachin Ravindra and David Warner are the ones in prime contention to catch up with Kohli this tournament, apart from Rohit.
#2 Virat Kohli went past Ricky Ponting on the all-time ODI run-scorers list
Virat Kohli is now among the top three batters with the most runs in ODI cricket. The Delhi-born batter went past Ricky Ponting, who scored 13,704 runs in a decorated career spanning from 1995 to 2012.
Kohli now has 13,794 runs at a stupendous average of 58.69. It remains to be seen if he can catch up with second-placed Kumar Sangakkara, who has 14,234 to his name. Tendulkar, however, is probably out of reach.
#1 Virat Kohli now has the most 50+ scores in a single World Cup
With eight scores of 50 or more in the 2023 World Cup, Kohli now has the most in any edition of cricket's most prestigious event. It has been an incredibly prolific tournament even by his lofty standards.
Tendulkar managed seven in 2003, while Shakib Al Hasan recorded seven in his wonderful 2019 campaign. No other batter has more than six, although this is another record that is under threat from a couple of names this year.