Shahid Afridi’s post for Virat Kohli after WC ton stirs internet

Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi's post for Virat Kohli following India's premier batter's hundred against South Africa in the 2023 Cricket World Cup in Kolkata on Sunday went viral on the internet.

During the weekend, Virat Kohli equaled Sachin Tendulkar's world record of 49 ODI centuries in India's 2023 Cricket World Cup fixture against South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens.

Minutes after Virat Kohli's hundred, several Pakistani cricketers, including Shahid Afridi, hailed the India superstar for his superhuman effort in West Bengal.

“This is the Best birthday gift from Virat Kohli to the fans of Team India & entire cricket fraternity. HBD,” Shahid Afridi tweeted. 

 

“Congratulations Virat Kohli for such a great achievement. You've proved yourself a great batter of current times. This is an honor for you & team India to level great Sachin's record. Also best birthday gift for yourself & your fans,” Pakistan great Mohammad Yousaf added.

 

“Gives the world a gift on his own birthday! Scripted to perfection! 100 no.49. Happy Birthday Virat Kohli,” former Pakistan women's team skipper Urooj Mumtaz Khan stated. 

The iconic Eden Gardens, packed to the raptures, was treated to a Virat Kohli masterclass as the premier India batter again anchored the home team's innings with an unbeaten 101 off 121 balls, powering them to 326/5 in their allocated 50 overs.

Before Virat Kohli landed in the city of joy, he was one behind his idol Sachin Tendulkar, who ended his illustrious career with 49 tons.

However, the 35-year-old looked determined to score a hundred in West Bengal after arriving at the crease after the fall of captain Rohit Sharma's wicket.

Rohit Sharma gave India a flying start, but once he perished, the pitch started playing tricks, with the spinners getting a lot of purchase out of it.

The Delhi-born cricketer bided his time, focusing on taking singles and doubles to keep the scorecard moving.

Eventually, Virat Kohli accelerated at the fag-end of the Indian essay, completing a memorable hundred on his 35th birthday.

With his heroics at the Eden Gardens, Virat Kohli joined Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli in a select list of Indian players who have made centuries on their birthdays in ODIs.

Notably, Sachin Tendulkar produced one of the best knocks of his career against Australia in Sharjah, known as the desert storm, on his birthday in 1998.

Overall, King Kohli is only the seventh cricketer to hit a hundred on his birthday across formats in international cricket.

Besides Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, and Vinod Kambli, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mitchell Marsh, Ross Taylor, and Tom Latham have scored centuries on their respective birthdays.

With his unbeaten 101 off 121 balls, Virat Kohli took his tally of tons in international cricket to 79. He has 29 centuries in Tests and one in T20Is.

It was his second hundred in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, having previously reached the three-figure mark against Bangladesh.

Virat Kohli's stats in ODIs are just phenomenal. To better understand how good he has been in the 50-over format, he reached his 49th ton in 277 essays, while Sachin Tendulkar needed 451 to get there.

Despite numbers and pundits suggesting he's the greatest player to bat in ODIs, Virat Kohli rubbished the talks surrounding his accomplishments.

Instead, he hailed Sachin Tendulkar for being the guiding force behind his constant effort to improve on the cricket field.

“I had this sense of ‘it's going to be something more,' today rather than ‘it's just one more game in the World Cup.' I did wake up with that excitement, yes,” Virat Kohli said in the post-match presentation ceremony after being adjudged the Player of the Match.

“It was a big game. We were probably playing the toughest team in the tournament that we had played so far, to be honest. They played some amazing cricket. There was this motivation of wanting to do well for the team. Because it happened on my birthday, people made it a bit more special for me. I had this sense of ‘it's going to be something more today' rather than ‘it's just one more game in the World Cup'. I did wake up with that excitement, yes,” he elaborated.

“For me, it's all too much to take in right now, to be honest, to equal my hero's record in one-day internationals is something that's a huge honor for me. I know that people like comparisons, I am never going to be as good as him. There's a reason why we all looked up to him. He's perfection when it comes to batting. I am trying to do my best, trying to win games for my country. He's always going to be my hero regardless of what happens. It's a very emotional moment for me. I know where I come from, the days that I watched him play on TV. So to stand here and get this appreciation from someone like him means a lot to me,” an emotional Virat Kohli continued.

“People from the outside probably look at the game in a different way,” he said. “When the openers start in that fashion when the ball is new, you feel like wow, this is a belter and everyone has to keep going that way. But the conditions changed with the old ball, the pitch slows down. Message from the management was simple: I bat deep, the guys around me they bat with me, string in partnerships, express themselves and keep doing the job that the team wants me to do. That's my role, has always been my role. I was just happy from that perspective because on pitches like these, if you get out, you can always look back and say 295, maybe we could have got 320-325. Once you are above 315, we knew it's above par and we are in a comfortable situation.”

“I would say I am enjoying myself, playing cricket all over again which is more important now than thinking about phases and such,” he said. I think in a phase where things were not working, you are not enjoying yourself. That's what I take out of it. You are still able to score runs because of your experience. But being out there, even for those 50-60 runs is not as enjoyable as it is right now. I am just happy with God's blessed me with that enjoyment again and I can do the things that I have done for so many years all over again,” Virat Kohli summed up.

Among other Pakistan cricketers, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram opined that Virat Kohli is the best in the world.

“Look at him, this guy is the best in the world. One or two centuries away from the half-century of centuries. Sachin Tendulkar ka record todega. I think usse bas ek dur rah gaya hai(Kohli will break Sachin Tendulkar's record, is just one shy of his tally). Once he settles in, he just plays shots at his will against the spin, against the medium pace, against the fast bowlers. A complete batter, one of the best in the world,” Wasim Akram concluded.