In the historic Eden Gardens of Kolkata, Virat Kohli has made his 50th century in international cricket. With this Indian skipper also joined South African great Hashim Amla as the fastest to 50 centuries in International cricket in 348 innings.
He has become India’s second and world’s eighth player in terms of applying 50 or more hundreds in international cricket. Sachin Tendulkar has scored 100 hundreds for India. The list has the likes of Kumar Sangakkara (63) and Mahela Jayawardene (54) from Sri Lanka, Australian Ricky Ponting (71), South Africans Jacques Kallis (62) and Hashim Amla (54) and West Indies legend Brian Lara (53).
List of players with 50 or more international centuries:
| Player | Span | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 | 0 |
| S Tendulkar (IND) | 1989-2013 | 664 | 782 | 74 | 34357 | 248* | 48.52 | 100 | 164 | 34 |
| R Ponting (AUS) | 1995-2012 | 560 | 668 | 70 | 27483 | 257 | 45.95 | 71 | 146 | 39 |
| K Sangakkara (SL) | 2000-2015 | 594 | 666 | 67 | 28016 | 319 | 46.77 | 63 | 153 | 28 |
| J Kallis (SA) | 1995-2014 | 519 | 617 | 97 | 25534 | 224 | 49.1 | 62 | 149 | 33 |
| H Amla (SA) | 2004-2017 | 310 | 384 | 31 | 17236 | 311* | 48.82 | 54 | 77 | 14 |
| M Jayawardene (SL) | 1997-2015 | 652 | 725 | 62 | 25957 | 374 | 39.15 | 54 | 136 | 47 |
| B Lara (WI) | 1990-2007 | 430 | 521 | 38 | 22358 | 400* | 46.28 | 53 | 111 | 33 |
| V Kohli (IND) | 2008-2017 | 318 | 348 | 53 | 15748 | 235 | 53 | 50 | 77 | 19 |
Virat Kohli Overall Stats
| M | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | SR | Avg | 100 | 200 | 50 | |
| Test | 61 | 103 | 8 | 4762 | 235 | 56.39 | 50.1 | 18 | 4 | 14 |
| ODI | 202 | 194 | 32 | 9030 | 183 | 91.73 | 55.7 | 32 | 0 | 45 |
| T20I | 55 | 51 | 14 | 1956 | 90 | 137.8 | 52.9 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
Batting on 98, Kohli charged down the wicket to slam Sri Lankan pacer Suranga Lakmal for a six over extra covers to reach the milestone. India declared their innings at 352/8, setting a 231-run target for the Islanders. Kohli remained unbeaten on 104. Even as wickets fell around him, Kohli kept his calm and raced to his 18th Test century
Kohli now has nine International centuries in 2017, the most by him in any year as well as the most number of ducks (five) by him in any year. His previous highest was eight centuries in 2012 and in 2014.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting had notched nine International 100s twice in 2005 and 2006, and Smith once in 2005.
Kohli is the also the first Indian captain to score a duck and a century in the same Test.
“It (50 international hundreds) feels good. It hasn’t been a long journey yet,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony after the first Test between India and Sri Lanka ended in a draw.
Kohli says “it hasn’t been a long journey” yet, but for the Indian cricket fan, it has been a memorable one. Making his international debut nine years back, the Delhi boy has moved at a breakneck speed. In fact, his first international century came at the Eden Gardens nine years back against Sri Lanka in an ODI, and it was fitting that he got his 50th at the historic venue.
