"Had Not Thought That I Would Score So Many Hundreds And So Many Runs": Virat Kohli

31.10.2023 - 14:13 sports.ndtv.com

On the verge of equalling Sachin Tendulkar's record number of ODI centuries, star India batter Virat Kohli on Tuesday said he had never thought of accumulating so many runs and hundreds when he began his career.

Kohli has been in terrific form with the bat in the ongoing ODI World Cup with one century and three half centuries in six matches.

He scored 103 not out against Bangladesh in Pune on October 19 for his 48th ODI hundred, one short of Tendulkar's world record.

He made 95 against New Zealand in Dharamsala on October 22, five runs short of matching Tendulkar's record 49 tons in ODI cricket. "If we talk about cricket, I had never thought of achieving all, as in where my career is and how god has blessed me (with) such a career span and performances," Kohli told Star Sports. "I had always dreamt I'd do this, but I had never thought things would pan out this way exactly.

cricket India Cricket Team World Cup 2023 score Virat Kohli Sachin Tendulkar Star Sports New Zealand India Bangladesh

India will take on New Zealand in the first semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India, on November 15. The knock-out contest will begin at 02:00 PM IST. Team India enters the upcoming match with an impeccable record in the group stage, having emerged victorious in all nine of their league matches. On the other hand, New Zealand secured a spot in the last four by winning five out of their nine matches, overcoming a challenging four-match losing streak.

Shubman Gill's 'Kicks' Scare Virat Kohli During Cricket World Cup Practice. Reaction Is Viral - Watch

The camaraderie between Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli is quite well known with the two Indian cricket team stars sharing several light hearted moments on the field. One such incident happened during India's practice session ahead of the Cricket World Cup 2023 match against Netherlands. Gill was doing jumping kicks to warm up but he ended up doing it very close to Kohli. The veteran batter, who was walking with his bat in his hand, was startled by the sudden movement but he found it funny and even threatened to jokingly hit Gill with his bat. The video of the incident has gone viral on social media.

Watch: Virat Kohli And Mohammed Siraj Perform Cristiano Ronaldo's 'Siuu' Celebration vs Netherlands

Centuries from Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul powered India to a 160-run Cricket World Cup 2023 win over the Netherlands on Sunday as they completed the group stage with a perfect nine wins in nine games. Iyer (128 not out) and Rahul (102) put on 208 runs to guide India to 410-4. India then employed nine bowlers, including part-timers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, to dismiss the Dutch for 250 in the tournament's concluding league match in Bengaluru. The hosts will face New Zealand in the first semi-final in Mumbai on Wednesday followed by the second last-four clash between Australia and South Africa the next day in Kolkata. Iyer smashed his first World Cup ton in a match where all the top-five Indian batsmen went past the fifty mark on a batting-friendly pitch.

From Virat Kohli's Masterclass To 'Spirit Of Cricket' Debate, Five Takeaways From Cricket World Cup 2023 League Stage

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 league stage concluded with India's commanding 160-run victory over the Netherlands. One of the noteworthy aspects of the World Cup so far has been the Indian cricket team's dominance. Here, we explore five key observations from the league stage.

"Beti Ko Ghar..." - Virat Kohli Refuses Pics Near Car With Daughter Vamika

Virat Kohli scored a brilliant half-century and even took a rare wicket as India defeated Netherlands in their final Cricket World Cup 2023 league stage match on Sunday. Following the match, Kohli returned to Mumbai along with wife Anushka Sharma and daughter Vamika ahead of his side's semifinal clash against New Zealand. In a video going viral on social media. Kohli was seen exiting the Mumbai airport and when paparazzi and fans tried to click his pictures, he obliged around the gate of the airport but refused any pictures near the car as his daughter was inside. “Yahi pe karlo, gaadi ke paas nahi(Do it here, not near the car). Subhe subhe uthke aye hai please(Please, it's very early in the morning).” The cricketer also said, “Aree beti ko ghar leke jaana hai(I have to take my daughter home).”

Watch: Rahul Dravid's Cheeky Reaction To Own Batting Heroics Leaves Virat Kohli In Splits

Indian cricket team head coach Rahul Dravid became the center of attraction during the team's Cricket World Cup 2023 match against the Netherlands for his priceless reaction. During the match in Bengaluru on Sunday, Rahul was sitting in the Indian team's dugout when the big screen showed his batting heroics from Cricket World Cup 1999. The following frame had a live visual of Dravid with a big smile on his face, acknowledging the praise of the team members in Bengaluru. Not only the fans at M Chinnaswamy Stadium but Virat Kohli too was left in splits by the reaction of Dravid.