Virat Kohli’s exceptional form was on display once again as he smashed yet another fifty during India’s World Cup 2023 semifinal clash against New Zealand on Sunday, November 15. This remarkable performance not only solidified Kohli’s position as a key player but also allowed him to surpass two major World Cup records previously held by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
At 35, Kohli broke Tendulkar’s long-standing record for the highest number of runs in a single ODI World Cup edition, achieving an impressive score of 80*. With a total of 674* runs in just 10 innings, Kohli is currently leading the scoring chart and is on track to potentially reach the historic 700-run mark in tournament history.
Tendulkar, a cricket icon, had famously recorded 673 runs during the 2003 edition, where India unfortunately lost to Australia in the final. Matthew Hayden had previously held the second spot with 659 runs since the 2007 edition, while the current captain Rohit Sharma had scored 648 runs in the 2019 edition.
After reaching the milestone of 50, Virat Kohli made history by becoming the first cricketer ever to achieve eight fifty-plus scores in a single edition of the ODI World Cup. This remarkable feat surpassed the previous record held by Sachin Tendulkar and Shakib Al Hasan, who both had seven fifty-plus knocks to their names. Tendulkar achieved this feat during the 2003 edition, while the Bangladesh skipper accomplished the same number of fifty-plus scores in 2019.