Most hundreds in a One-Day International career (male)

Virat Kohli’s historic 117 for India against New Zealand in the first semi-final of the 2023 Cricket World Cup in Mumbai, India, on 15 November was his landmark 50th One-Day International (ODI) century. Just 10 days after matching Sachin Tendulkar’s 49 ODI hundreds with 101 not out against South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kohli delighted a boisterous crowd at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium by powering his way to a 50th three-figure score, in 279 ODI innings since making his debut in 2008.

Kohli’s fifth hundred at the World Cup also made him the leading run-scorer at a single edition of the tournament – 711 in 10 innings, as of 15 November 2023 – to surge ahead of the 673 runs scored by Tendulkar in 11 innings at the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

Kohli’s 113-ball 117 in Mumbai, which guided India to a World Cup knockout match record team score of 397 for 4, was the batter’s eighth score of 50 or more at the 2023 tournament, allowing him to swipe yet another record previously held by Tendulkar, whose seven fifties in 2003 was matched by Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh in 2019.

Kohli reached 100 for the first time in his 13th ODI innings, scoring 107 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens on 24 December 2009. The former captain’s ODI debut, also against Sri Lanka, came on 18 August 2008. (Incredibly, Tendulkar's first ODI hundred came in his 76th match, when he scored 110 against Australia in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 9 September 1994 – four years 265 days after making his ODI debut on 18 December 1989.)

As of 15 November 2023, Kohli had scored 13,749 ODI runs from 14,734 balls faced, with 71 fifties, 1,290 fours and 151 sixes to his name. His batting average of 58.69 and strike rate of 93.62 runs per 100 balls faced were both higher than Tendulkar achieved during his illustrious career, and Kohli had played 173 fewer ODI innings than the “Little Master”.

Reacting to Kohli’s 49th ODI hundred on X (formerly Twitter), the 50-year-old Tendulkar said: “Well played Virat. It took me 365 days to go from 49 to 50 earlier this year. I hope you go from 49 to 50 and break my record in the next few days. Congratulations!” Rather less cryptically, but just as gracefully, Tendulkar, watching on from the stands at the Wankhede, took to X again on the occasion of Kohli’s record-setting 50th ODI 100: “The first time I met you in the Indian dressing room, you were pranked by other teammates into touching my feet. I couldn’t stop laughing that day. But soon, you touched my heart with your passion and skill. I am so happy that that young boy has grown into a ‘Virat’ player. I couldn’t be happier that an Indian broke my record. And to do it on the biggest stage – in the World Cup semi-final – and at my home ground is the icing on the cake.”