Virat Kohli has only equalled Sachin Tendulkar, but as an ODI batter he is unparalleled

We had to wait for a while for the rare moment, but on Sunday at Eden Gardens, it was finally time as Virat Kohli equalled the great Sachin Tendulkar for the world record of 49 ODI hundreds. When Kohli made 88 against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, it seemed as if he was just moments away from becoming only the second cricketer in the history of the ‘Gentleman’s Game’ to score 49 ODI tons, but the wait was made longer.

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It felt longer because such are the standards of the ODI century-machine Kohli. He was on 44 at the start of the year and before the end of it, he shares the top spot with Tendulkar. There’s a good chance he will be alone at the peak before 2023 culminates. Kohli has always been in a hurry to score ODI hundreds.

It has taken him just 277 innings to bring up 49 ODI centuries. Tendulkar reached the same landmark in 452 knocks. It took the ‘Little Master’ a year to go from 48 to 49 ODI tons. Kohli’s strike rate is crazy that way — a century every six innings. Unimaginable and unparalleled.

Cricket, however, is not just a game of statistics. The numbers are for us mere mortals as they become the barometer to judge a player. Milestones reflect quality to an extent but don’t give the full picture. If Kohli is arguably the greatest ODI batter of all time, it’s not just because he has more centuries than everyone sans Tendulkar in a record time, but because he knows the format better than anyone. His batting in ODIs is above everyone.

Sunday was a good example of why there’s no match for Kohli in the format. A two-paced pitch at the Eden Gardens needed a skillful hand to deal with its pitfalls and capitalise on the sweet spots. The former India captain played that role to perfection, emerging as the best batter on the day with a knock of 101 not out off 121 balls.

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– Virat Kohli on appreciation from the legendary Sachin Tendulkar after his 4⃣9⃣th ODI Ton #TeamIndia | #CWC23 | #MenInBlue | #INDvSA | @sachin_rt | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/jsVukcsY5k

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 5, 2023

When the conditions were at their best at the start, Kohli played the role of aggressor, scoring at a strike of 100 and more and only slowed down, slightly, after spinners started operating from both ends. Later when Shreyas Iyer took control of the innings, Kohli gave him the command and became the sheet anchor. He continued in the same way as Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja took over the duties of scoring quickly and India finished on 326/5 — 30-40 runs well above par — a score that essentially ended the game in the first innings.

Kohli was the glue that bonded the Indian batting together at Eden, as he has so often in his career.

“It was a wicket that was tricky to bat on. We got a great start. My job was to keep the momentum going when I got in. But after ten overs, the ball started gripping and the wicket started slowing down. My role was to bat deep and till the end after the openers fell because that’s what I’ve done, that was the communication as well — to have guys bat around me,” Kohli said after his record-equalling knock. “Shreyas starting hitting well as well. We were not thinking we would get to 326 but that’s what happens when you dig deep and take the game into the last few overs.”

How to build an innings, execute the plans, and flourish when needed. No one has a better grip on all these things than Kohli. It’s this understanding of the game that makes him the greatest ODI batter.

Hearing funny arguments about Virat Kohli being Selfish and obsessed with personal milestone.
Yes Kohli is selfish, selfish enough to follow the dream of a billion people, selfish enough to strive for excellence even after achieving so much, selfish enough to set new benchmarks,… pic.twitter.com/l5RZRf7dNx

— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) November 6, 2023

Once again, it’s not the number really but his actions that make him the best. Out of Kohli’s 13,626 ODI runs, 7,794 have come in chases, under pressure and at a whopping average of 65.24. 27 out of his 49 tons have come in chases, 23 of them in wins. 41 out of his 49 ODI hundreds have come in victories. This number stands at 33 for Tendulkar.

Baffling, just baffling, and the best thing is that there’s a lot more to come from the ‘King’. He has only turned 35-years-young.