Kane Williamson delivered a sensational performance against South Africa in the second ODI of the Tri-series on February 10, etching his name in the record books with a magnificent century.

The former New Zealand skipper not only played a match-winning knock but also reached a significant milestone in ODI cricket.

Williamson had not scored an ODI century for over five and a half years, but he returned to his best at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium. His unbeaten 133 off 113 balls guided New Zealand to a comfortable six-wicket victory while chasing a challenging target of 305 runs. With this win, the Black Caps secured their spot in the Tri-series final, maintaining an unbeaten record after two matches.

During his remarkable innings, Williamson also crossed the 7000-run mark in ODIs, becoming the fastest New Zealand batter to achieve the feat. He also became the second fastest overall in international cricket history. Before the match, he had 6,868 runs in 158 innings and needed 132 more to reach the milestone. He achieved it in style, striking a boundary off Senuran Muthusamy when only one run was required for victory.

Reaching 7000 ODI runs in just 159 innings, the Kiwi star surpassed some of the biggest names in cricket.

Virat Kohli took 161 innings to reach the landmark, while Sachin Tendulkar required 189 innings. Martin Guptill previously held the New Zealand record, reaching the milestone in 186 innings. The only player to achieve 7000 ODI runs faster than Williamson is Hashim Amla, who did it in just 150 innings.

With this victory, New Zealand have secured a place in the Tri-series final after also defeating Pakistan by 78 runs in their opening match. The second finalist is yet to be determined, with South Africa and Pakistan set to battle it out in their upcoming match.

South Africa currently holds second place in the standings with a net run rate of -0.249, while Pakistan sits at the bottom with an NRR of -1.560.

With Williamson back in top form and New Zealand displaying dominant performances, they will enter the Tri-series final as strong favorites.

With Williamson back in top form and New Zealand displaying dominant performances, they will enter the Tri-series final as strong favorites.