Bow to the KING: From Samantha to Sachin Tendulkar, celebrities hail Virat Kohli as he reaches 50 ODI hundred

Hyderabad: Celebrities from Samantha Ruth Prabhu to Arjun Kapoor took to social media to shower praise on the Indian cricket maestro Virat Kohli as he reached 50 ODI hundred. Virat, who became the first player in ODI history to notch up 50 centuries during the World Cup semifinal against New Zealand at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, received accolades from the who's who of the entertainment and sports fraternity.

Amidst the electrifying match, Kohli reached the milestone with a double, moving from 98 to 100, prompting an outpouring of admiration from fans and celebrities alike. Sachin Tendulkar, present at the venue, paid tribute to Kohli on X (formerly Twitter), reminiscing about their first meeting and how a young Kohli was pranked by teammates.

• The first time I met you in the Indian dressing room, you were pranked by other teammates into touching my feet. I couldn’t stop laughing that day. But soon, you touched my heart with your passion and skill. I am so happy that that young boy has grown into a ‘Virat’ player.
  
  I… pic.twitter.com/KcdoPwgzkX

  — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) November 15, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  The first time I met you in the Indian dressing room, you were pranked by other teammates into touching my feet. I couldn’t stop laughing that day. But soon, you touched my heart with your passion and skill. I am so happy that that young boy has grown into a ‘Virat’ player.
  
  I… pic.twitter.com/KcdoPwgzkX

  — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) November 15, 2023

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  The first time I met you in the Indian dressing room, you were pranked by other teammates into touching my feet. I couldn’t stop laughing that day. But soon, you touched my heart with your passion and skill. I am so happy that that young boy has grown into a ‘Virat’ player.
  
  I… pic.twitter.com/KcdoPwgzkX

  — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) November 15, 2023

Social media platforms buzzed with congratulations as Samantha Ruth Prabhu shared a captivating image of Virat lifting his bat with closed eyes, expressing gratitude. Arjun Kapoor, via Instagram Stories, hailed Virat as a legend, emphasizing the blend of hard work and pure talent. Navya Nanda added fire and GOAT emojis to a picture of Virat on his knees at Wankhede Stadium, echoing the sentiment of an extraordinary achievement.

Athiya Shetty was left in awe, calling Virat's performance "Unbelievable!!!" while Randeep Hooda, sharing a set of action-packed images, bowed to the "KING KOHLI" and described the century as a cricketing spectacle. Varun Tej, through Instagram Stories, joined the chorus, addressing Virat as "King Kohli."

Noted film directed SS Rajamouli in a post on X stated, "Records are meant to be broken, but no one in their wildest dreams dreamt of breaking Sachin's record when he announced his retirement. And the KING emerged. KOHLI (sic)."

Kohli's Test teamm-mate Cheteshwar Pujara too hailed the star batter. "Kohli's Incredible batting display by India! Kudos to @imVkohli on his remarkable milestone! #IndvNZ #CWC23," Pujara said in an X post.

This celebrity chorus echoed the magnificence of Virat Kohli's 50th ODI century, a feat that not only captivated the cricketing world but also marked a momentous occasion on the same day Sachin Tendulkar bid farewell to international cricket at Wankhede Stadium.