[Watch] Sachin Tendulkar and David Beckham congratulate Virat Kohli after his 50th ODI century during IND vs NZ semi-final
Team India batter Virat Kohli etched his name in the history books after noticing up his 50th ODI ton during the 2023 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand in Mumbai on November 15.
Kohli became the first batter to hit 50 tons in the 50-over format, bettering Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 centuries. Following the knock, Tendulkar was seen lauding and congratulating the batter for achieving the significant milestone.
Football star David Beckham was also in attendance for the encounter in Mumbai. He was also spotted embracing Kohli during the mid-innings break.
Watch the video here:
Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first in the knockout fixture. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer stepped up in the high-pressure match, scoring 117 and 105 runs, respectively.
Opening batter Shubman Gill also chipped in with a valuable unbeaten knock of 80. While he looked set for a big one, he was retired hurt after suffering an injury. He did return in the final over after Suryakumar Yadav's dismissal.
The Men in Blue finished at 397/4 after 50 overs, setting an imposing target for the Blackcaps.
"We are all super proud of him" - Sachin Tendulkar on Virat Kohli's 50th ODI century
Speaking to the host broadcaster, Sachin Tendulkar reserved high praise for Virat Kohli following the latter's 50th century in ODI cricket. He stated that the former captain has made everyone proud with his achievements.
Tendulkar also recalled how some teammates made Kohli touch his feet on the latter's first day in the Indian dressing room.
"A big, big congratulations to Virat, he made it look easy, he's gone to 50 hundreds in ODI format," Tendulkar said. "Incredible, super, we are all super proud of him. I still remember the first day when he got into the Indian dressing room. The other players played prank on him and made him touch my feet saying that this is tradition, you have to touch his feet to take his blessings, that's when you are going to have a good career. I was laughing away.
"Today to see the same player grow so beautifully and achieve so many laurels for our country, I am so proud."
It is worth mentioning that Virat Kohli has chalked up 711 runs from 10 outings in the 2023 World Cup at an average of 101.57. He is also the first player to cross the 700-run mark in a single edition.