An Indian cricket fan named Shiju Balanandan had predicted on Facebook in 2012 that Virat Kohli would eventually break Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 tons in ODIs.
Cricket is more than just a game in India, and Virat Kohli stands as a central figure in this cricket fervor. Recently surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most ODI centuries, Kohli's remarkable journey from an aspiring youth in Delhi to this achievement serves as an inspiration to many.
Joy Bhattacharjya shared Balanandan's story on X, showing how he foresaw Kohli reaching 50 centuries.
Balanandan kept updating his prediction post until Kohli's 35th century in 2018 after which he sadly passed away.
Friends continued the updates, and his prediction eventually came true.
This heart-warming story touched many online, with users praising Balanandan's foresight.
Some even suggested starting similar threads for other players.
Though the post initially mentioned a start date of 2022, users pointed out that Balanandan began in July 2012. Bhattacharjya corrected this in a later tweet.
About sport, and us.
— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) November 16, 2023
In July 2022, after Virat got his 12th ODI century, Shiju Balandan predicted on FB that his idol would get to 50. He kept updating on his post till Virat's 33rd. And then Shiju left us.
His friends continued the count. And yesterday, Shiju got there! pic.twitter.com/9BIuMoiiau
Before achieving this milestone, Virat Kohli faced a three-year century drought, which he ended in September 2022.
His 50th century during the World Cup was special as he achieved it on the same date and venue where Tendulkar played his last international innings.
