Kohli's brilliant knock left the whole nation in a celebratory mood
Photo: AP
Star batter Virat Kohli is the man of the moment. On Sunday, he reached a record-equalling 49th ODI century during the 2023 World Cup match against South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Interestingly, he achieved this milestone on his 35th birthday.
Kohli's brilliant knock left the whole nation in a celebratory mood. The Indian film industry also celebrated Kohli's remarkable feat by congratulating him on social media.
Kartik Aaryan took to Instagram Story and called Kohli "GOAT" (Greatest of All Times).
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
"GOAT. Happy Birthday and Congratulations," he wrote.
Varun Dhawan posted on Instagram, as he celebrated the moment with his adorable dog.
Actor Arjun Rampal also hailed Kohli's magnificent performance.
"Virat Kohli you beauty, happy birthday, you deserve every bit of this achievement and more. All the very best for the semis and finals. #happybirthdayviratkohli #legend #goat," Rampal wrote on Instagram.
Vicky Kaushal also cheered for Kohli.
"49 at 35. Happy birthday Virat Kohli," Vicky posted.
Ayushmann Khurrana shared an old photo with Kohli with a heartwarming caption.
Suniel Shetty applauded the cricketer's achievement through a tweet.
Actor Saiyami Kher also heaped praise on Kohli.
Actor Venkatesh Daggubati described Kohli's knock as "pure class and skill."
Kohli's wife Anushka also gave a huge shoutout to him.
"[A present to yourself on your own birthday]," Anushka wrote on Instagram, adding a picture of Kohli from the match.
Kohli started off the innings in his characteristic free-flowing manner, going for his shots and taking on the loose balls from South Africa pacers. However, he slowed down the tempo after the South Africa spinners came on.
Kohli has already scored a ton in this Cricket World Cup.
This came against Bangladesh in Pune when he scored an unbeaten 103 off 97 balls which took India to a seven-wicket win and won him the Player of the Match award. He came very close to another one in Dharamsala against New Zealand, but fell five runs short then.
Then he scored a brilliant 88 against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, but fell before he could clear the line. It didn't take long for him, though, to equal the landmark, achieving the feat on Sunday at the Eden Gardens.
The list of top century-makers in ODI cricket has three Indians at the top, with Rohit Sharma (31) coming behind Tendulkar and Kohli. Nine players have recorded more than 25 hundreds in the format in men's cricket.
ALSO READ: