I am never going to be as good as Tendulkar, but special to equal my hero's record: Kohli
Kolkata, Nov 5: Despite building his own lofty peaks, Virat Kohli remains a fan of Sachin Tendulkar.
On the day when he equalled his idol's record of 49 ODI hundreds, Kohli unabashedly admitted that he will never be in the league of the iconic Mumbaikar, who enthralled the cricket world with his extraordinary skills for decades.
On his 35th birthday, Kohli stuck an unbeaten 101 off 121 balls that formed the fulcrum of India's 326 for 5 and the eventual 243-run win over South Africa in their World Cup match here on Sunday.
"It is all too much for me to take in now, to equal my hero's record is something special for me. He is perfection when it comes to batting. But I am never going to be as good as him," Kohli said during the post-match presentation.
He further dwelled on his adulation of Tendulkar.
"It's a very emotional moment for me, I know where I come from. I know the days where I have been watched him on TV, and just to get that appreciation from him means a lot to me," added Kohli.
Tendulkar had taken to X (formerly Twitter) to extend his appreciation for Kohli matching his feat.
"Well played Virat! It took me 365 days to go from 49 to 50. I hope you go from 49 to 50 and break my record in the next few days. Congratulations," said Tendulkar.
Kohli said he has been enjoying his cricket at the moment.
"I'm enjoying playing cricket, that is more important to me than phases. I'm just happy that God has blessed me with that enjoyment. I'm just happy that I'm being able to do what I have done over the years," he said.
The former Indian captain said playing against South Africa was a motivation in itself for the entire side.
"It was a big game, probably playing the toughest team in the tournament. There was a motivation to do well. Because it happened on my birthday, it becomes special and the people made it more special for me," he added.
Kohli said the rollicking start openers Rohit Sharm and Shubman Gill gave helped the team a lot in setting a fine platform.
He said India's total on the day was above par.
"People from the outside look at the game in a bit of a different way. When the openers start well, you feel it is a belter but the conditions slowed down drastically.
"I was happy form that perspective. Once you got more than 315, we knew that we were above par," he added.
Congratulations Team India for winning South Africa by 243 runs.
— Priya❤️ FOLLOW BACK ❤️ (@priya_m01) November 5, 2023
Virat Kohli levelled 49th ODI century record with God Of Cricket Sachin Tendulkar.
Man of the Match The King Kohli beat SA by 18 runs#INDvsSA #GOAT𓃵 #selfish #jaddu
#ViratKohli #RohitSharma #viratkholi pic.twitter.com/SZpueAu4vt
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
_vb_77.jpeg)
_vb_00.jpeg)
