'Sachin had many sleepless nights, he would get...' - Ravi Shastri opens up on Virat Kohli equaling Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI centuries

India outmuscled mighty South Africa by a mammoth margin of 243 runs to register the eighth consecutive win in their ODI World Cup 2023 campaign. The match was memorable for the Indian cricket fans as the former Indian skipper and the modern-day batting great, Virat Kohli scored his career’s 49^th ODI century, equalling the world record of former legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar.

Apart from that, Kohli’s historic century was also special as it came on his 35^th birthday. He played an unbeaten knock of 101 runs off 120 balls, with 10 fours helping India to post a total of 326 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in the allotted 50 overs.

"I remember when Sachin Tendulkar was chasing his 34th." - Ravi Shastri while talking about Sachin and Virat Kohli

Meanwhile, the former Indian head coach and now, the commentator Ravi Shastri came up with a big statement while speaking about the comparison of Sachin Tendulkar’s era with the one of Virat Kohli as both the stars stand equal at 49 ODI centuries.

“It's amazing. We are a country obsessed with records. We are obsessed with hundreds. And Sunny was the trendsetter. I remember when Sachin Tendulkar was chasing his 34th, it wasn't easy. He had many sleepless nights, he would get out in the 70s and 80s. And it took a while, just like it has taken Virat Kohli,” said Ravi Shastri on Star Sports during the mid-innings show of the India vs South Africa match.

“Today, it was a very calculated innings. He started quickly when the ball was coming onto the bat. And when the ball started gripping, it wasn't easy to pick the bowlers. So, he soaked the pressure, bid his time, and upped the ante,” he added later.

Now, Virat Kohli will be in action for India against the Netherlands in the last league match of their ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 campaign. They are currently at the top spot of the points table of the tournament, with 16 points and a massive net run rate of +2.56