When Will Virat Kohli Break The Record Of Sachin Tendulkar's 100 Centuries?

Virat Kohli after his 50th ODI Century [X]Virat Kohli after his 50th ODI Century [X]

Indian cricket has been blessed with some of the greatest batters in the game's history. Generation-wise, India has had names like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, and many more. One such name is Virat Kohli. Considered the modern master, Kohli has been the most prolific run-scorer for India post-Sachin Tendulkar era. 

Virat Kohli has not just reached a level of cricketing dexterity, he has soared well ahead of his contemporaries, a feat that fills every cricket fan with pride and inspiration. His career is marked by impeccable consistency and a remarkable rate of scoring centuries. Kohli currently boasts 80 international centuries (50 in ODIs, 29 in Tests, and 1 in T20Is), a testament to his unparalleled skill and dedication.

When discussing centuries, one record comes to the mind of every cricket fan - the 100 international centuries by Sachin Tendulkar. Nicknamed the 'God of Cricket, Tendulkar once himself predicted that Virat Kohli might be the one who break his perfect 100 record. 

Kohli is currently 35 years old. At this stage, is it possible for him to break Sachin's record? If so, when will he surpass the perfect hundred record?  

Examining Kohli's century scoring pattern

Before predicting if and when Kohli will break the record, let us delve into his career so far. Kohli's career has so far seen four phases - when he has been in a Godly form, when he has been excellent, when he has been average and when he has gone through a lean phase. His century-scoring pattern during these phases has been something like this - 

Phase
Years
Centuries Per Year
Godly Form2012 - 20177
Excellent
2018 - 20206
Average Form2021-20233
Below Average form2009-20112

Now, if we consider that he goes through one of these phases during the rest of his career, it will be easier for us to determine whether Kohli will break Sachin's record and, if he will, when it will happen.

How long Kohli might take to break Sachin's record?

Kohli needs 20 to equal and 21 more centuries to break the record. So, here is how long it will take to break the record if he goes through either of these phases.

Phases
Number of Years (approx)
Chances
Godly Form3 YearsHigh
Excellent Form3 Years and 6 MonthsHigh
Average form7 YearsLow
Below average form
10 yearsVery Low

The table shows us that if Kohli regains his godly form in the next few seasons, it will take him only three years to break the record, while if he regains his excellent form, it will take him around three and a half years. But if he maintains the current form, it will take him seven years to break the record, which means he will be 42 by then, and the chances are very low that he will be playing that long. If Kohli's form takes another dip, then it will be impossible to overhaul the record. 

Conclusion

Virat Kohli has been one of the greatest servants of Indian cricket. Even if he does not break the record, his achievements will be remembered by Indian fans forever. The magnitude of his career and the heights he attained during this decorated career can never be judged by or evaluated by meagre numbers or the records achieved.