On his 35th birthday, Virat Kohli scored his 49th ODI century, equalling Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most centuries in ODI cricket.
Kohli's 49th ODI century marked his 79th century overall and his fourth in the 50-over World Cup. He reached this milestone in 119 balls, including 10 glorious boundaries.
Those watching the match via live streams took to social media to celebrate the cricketer's extraordinary achievement. Consequently, hashtags like 'Goat' (Greatest of All Time) and 'Century' began trending online.
Here are some reactions to Virat Kohli's century:
Sachin Tendulkar: '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!!'
Virender Sehwag: 'What a day to equal the great man's record of most ODI 100s. His birthday at the historic Eden Gardens. Take a bow, #ViratKohli. Congratulations on a great one, ragon mein 100, dil me Bharat'.
Ian Bishop: 'Legacy cemented: Century No 49 on his 35th birthday for Virat Kohli to draw level with the great Sachin Tendulkar. Two greats of the game.'
Yuzvendra Chahal congratulated Virat for his knock, using the Goat emoji and Crown emoji.
Suresh Raina: 'When I first met him, I remember every game he would say, 'Paaji aaj 100 banana hai.' Well done Virat, so beautiful, so elegant, just looking like a wow, looking like a wow!.'
Irfan Pathan: 'Sachin paaji ko kandhe pe uthane se kandhe se kandha milake chalne wala shandaar safar @imVkohli ka. Many congratulations chase master.'
Mohammed Kaif: 'Happy birthday to the heartbeat of the nation, who has redefined the meaning of fitness, batting, and chasing big scores. Truly destined to go down as one of the all-time greats. #GOAT #ViratKohli.' =
Yuvraj Singh: 'Got a feeling @imVkohli will score a 100 on his bday!!'
V V S Laxman: 'What an incredible performance by Team India. Great start by Rohit, wonderful contribution from Shreyas Iyer and #ViratKohli on his birthday giving a great gift to all his admirers. A great day to reach his 49th ODI 100. And then the Indian bowlers led by Ravindra Jadeja were simply too good for the South Africans. Congratulations on a great day'.
Anil Kumble: 'Top-notch batting and brilliant bowling performance from team India. A memorable achievement by @imVkohli on his birthday.'
Venkatesh Prasad: 'Great win for Team India. Was a masterclass from #KingKohli on a challenging wicket. And the Indian bowlers are simply outstanding. Jadeja was almost unplayable and 8 in 8, 3 more to go. Come on Team India #INDvsSA.'
Mithali Raj: 'From @ImRo45's aggressive start to @imVkohli's composed 49th ODI ton, from @imjadeja's cameo with the bat to his magical spell with the ball, it was a magnificent show of skills and consistency from Team India. Complete domination!'
