Virat Kohli scored a record-breaking 50th one-day international hundred while Shreyas Iyer hit his own century as India smashed a commanding 397-4 against New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday.

Kohli’s innings of 117 broke the record of 49 hundreds he had shared with Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar watched from the stands at the Wankhede Stadium, where 33,000 people, including football star David Beckham, were seated.

Kohli and Iyer put on 163 runs together. Iyer hit 105 runs off of just 70 balls, with four fours and eight sixes.

“It feels like a dream. Too good to be true,” said Kohli.

“For me the most important thing is to make my team win. I’ve been given a role this tournament and I’m trying to dig deep.”

Tendulkar hailed Kohli’s “skill and passion”.

“I couldn’t be happier that an Indian broke my record,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“And to do it on the biggest stage – in the World Cup semi-final – and at my home ground is the icing on the cake.”

Kohli, who used to be captain of India, and Shubman Gill, who batted first, added 93 runs. Gill left the game hurt on 79, but came back in the last over to finish 80 not out.

After India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss, New Zealand’s bowlers were mostly unable to stop the attack.

Veteran pacer Tim Southee got three wickets but gave up 100 runs in 10 overs. Trent Boult, a left-arm quick, went for 86 runs in the same amount of time.

Mitchell Santner, a left-arm spinner, had a much better game with a 0-51 in 10 balls, which included the only maiden of the innings.

But Kohli’s day was all about leading India, who has won the World Cup twice, to the final on Sunday, where they will play either Australia or South Africa. It will be played on the same pitch where Kohli and Tendulkar won the 2011 World Cup.

India had won all nine of their pool games before this match against New Zealand. New Zealand beat India in a rain-soaked 2019 semi-final that took place over two days in Manchester.

Early on Wednesday, there was a stir when it came out that the game was being played on a used pitch instead of a new one.

Rohit, the opener, got off to a fast start with a 47, and New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson caught a high drive off Southee while running back from mid-off.

They thought they had Kohli out for a duck on the second ball, lbw to Southee.

But a review of the first “not out” decision showed that Kohli missed the mark with a boundary because of an inside edge.

Kohli, the former captain, hit four fours and a six in 59 balls before going down the pitch to hit Southee over long-on for six.

Two off Ferguson then led Kohli to his major hundred, which was his third of the tournament.

In his 279th ODI innings, Kohli faced 106 balls and hit eight fours and a six. Tendulkar led the applause as he bowed to his childhood hero.

Kohli was out for 117 when he pulled Tim Southee low to Devon Conway at deep square leg. He was dropped on 107.

Iyer hit Rachin Ravindra, a left-arm spinner who was only used sometimes, for several huge sixes as he scored his second hundred in a row before getting out off Boult.

India scores in short: 397–4 in 50 overs (V Kohli 117, S Iyer 105, S Gill 80 no; T Southee 3-100) vs. New Zealand