Can Virat Kohli Eclipse Sachin Tendulkar’s Record Of Perfect 100?
Indian batting sensation has scored 71 centuries so far in his career
Virat Kohli is one of the most dominant batters in world cricket. The 33-year-old Indian cricketer presents a picture of class and courage. The elegant batter has recorded 71 international centuries in a career spanning 14 years. At present, King Kohli stands second in the list of most international centuries.
Virat Kohli's first ODI century in NEW ZEALAND 123 off 111 balls highlights . (1) #ViratKohli𓃵 #ViratKohli #Edit #GOAT𓃵 |@imVkohli pic.twitter.com/mah5SpOGsK
— Shrey18 (@_kohliverse25) September 28, 2022
Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with 100 international centuries. The Master Blaster played for 24 years and achieved this remarkable feat in 2012, when he hit 114 against Bangladesh. When Sachin entered the record books, many pundits thought it was going to stand as unbreakable, like how Don Bradman’s magical batting average is standing tall after 75 years. Bradman retired with a career average of 99.94 from 52 tests. The Aussie legend needed just 4 runs to finish his career with an average of 100. However, he was dismissed for zero, and hence the three-figure mark remained a distant dream.
Will Virat Kohli break Tendulkar’s record?
Virat has a great chance to level or beat Sachin’s record of 51 ODI hundreds. However, it is easier said than done because of the less number of ODIs played in these years. At the present rate, Indian stroke maker has at least three to four years of international career left.
India is blessed to have these 3 cricketers, I don't think there was and there is any big cricketing superstar than Sachin tendulkar, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. pic.twitter.com/yQiNVp0Ak2
— Vishnu 🕉 (@MasterVKohli) November 16, 2021
Earlier, when asked about retirement, the Indian superstar had said he’ll stop playing when he feels he’s out of touch with the game. He does not consider age as criteria, but lays focuses on fitness and endurance. Sachin played till he was 39 years old. But one can’t expect the same from Kohli because of the extensive schedule of cricket in recent times.
Virat’s current record of 29 Test centuries is far below Sachin’s record of 49 Test tons. It would take a considerable amount of hard work and toil for him to reach near the former world number one batter’s record. So, there is a probability of him beating Sachin’s record in ODIs, but Test presents a more challenging picture.
Will Kohli play for milestones?
A committed campaigner, Kohli often stated in press meets that his focus is not to score centuries but to score crucial runs for his team. He has often sacrificed his wickets in the nineties for the team’s cause.
Few coincidence pictures of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.
🔺A Thread🔺 pic.twitter.com/naWL3KbbC3
— Harsh (@kohlisflick) January 25, 2021
It is a certainty that he will not be bothered by the records as long as he is fresh and hungry about the game. The priority of Kohli is team game and not individual excellence. He is an ideal successor for Sachin, who also echoed the same sentiment in his playing years. Sachin was often misunderstood in his career. But Kohli has stated his intentions clearly. He is a man on a mission.