Comparing Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar's ODI records at the age of 35
Virat Kohli was the man of the moment in the India vs South Africa 2023 World Cup clash at the Eden Gardens as the superstar batter notched up a magnificent century to take the hosts to an above-par total.
The hundred, his 49th in ODI cricket, took Kohli on par with Sachin Tendulkar. The India No. 3 has been chasing the record throughout the World Cup, and after falling short against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, he finally scaled the three-figure mark with a single off Kagiso Rabada.
Interestingly, today, November 5, is also Kohli's 35th birthday. Wishes poured in from all directions as the former Indian skipper celebrated the occasion with a superb knock in testing conditions.
Kohli doesn't have a lot of time left in his ODI career, having turned 35 and put a fair amount of miles on his engine. While he has equaled Tendulkar in the centuries department, how does his ODI record stack up against the retired Indian batting great at the same age?
Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar: ODI records at the age of 35
Overall, Sachin Tendulkar played 463 ODIs over the course of a two-decade long career. He is easily the highest run-getter in the format, with 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83 and a strike rate of 86.23.
Tendulkar turned 35 on 24 April, 2008. By that time, he had scored 16,361 runs in 417 matches at an average of 44.33 and a strike rate of 85.48, slightly lower than his overall career average. That is a testament to the manner in which the batter amassed runs even at the very end of his career.
Tendulkar had 42 centuries to his name by the time he turned 35, seven fewer than Kohli, to go with 89 fifties. He hadn't won the 2011 World Cup by then.
Virat Kohli, meanwhile, has played 289 ODIs since making his debut in the format in 2008. The 35-year-old has scored 13,626 runs at a stupendous average of 58.48 and a strike rate of 93.55. The latter two are clearly higher than those of Tendulkar, although it's arguable that both are reflections of the way cricket has evolved.
Kohli added a 49th ton to his ODI resume on Sunday, November 5, and has 70 fifties to his name as well. He is a World Cup winner for the country, having achieved the feat alongside Tendulkar in 2011, and is looking to replicate the feat on home soil.
It's worth noting that apart from his batting exploits, Tendulkar had an incredible 154 wickets to his name at an economy rate of 5.09 by the time he turned 35. Interestingly, he would not add to that tally in the last five years of his career as he focused on his batting.
Kohli might not be able to scale down Tendulkar's total runs in the ODI format, but there's every chance that he'll be able to record a 50th century before the World Cup concludes. India will be grateful to have had two of the greatest batters ever.