Breaking Tendulkar's century record: A realistic dream for Virat Kohli or an impossible task

Can Kohli go past Tendulkar? [Source: AFP Photo]

Something has happened to Virat Kohli, but in a positive way, as there is a different method to his ODI cricket in the ongoing series against South Africa. Known for being an accumulator and taking the game deep before going for the big shots, Kohli has changed his approach, and it has worked wonders for the team.

The unthinkable record Kohli is etching to achieve

Kohli was never a prolific six-hitter in ODIs, but in the last two matches against the Proteas, the number 3 batter has smacked 9 sixes in total and has totally re-invented his batting as the legendary player has amassed back-to-back tons, solidifying his status as the best ODI player.

Kohli has 84 international centuries to his name, and with each hundred scored in the ODIs, the legendary batter gets a voice in his head - only 17 more to go to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most international centuries by a player.

The record has stood tall for ages, and the Indian batter is the closest anyone has come to touching the milestone. However, it is to be remembered that Kohli only plays one format, and that makes his job of reaching the 100 mark a bit more complicated. So, how many innings does the veteran batter has to accomplish the unthinkable milestone?

How many innings does Kohli need to break the historic record

So, if no more ODI matches are added or reduced, then before the World Cup in 2027, India will have around 18 ODI matches scheduled. Moreover, if Kohli takes the flight to the World Cup, and India goes all the way to the finale, then the champion batter will have 31 games to achieve the unthinkable record.

31 matches means a century in almost every second match that he plays, and that mathematically is not impossible to achieve, but Cricket is such a cruel game, and a dip in form, injury derail Kohli’s improbable task.

Moreover, it is also to be considered that, considering the age factor, Kohli might not play in some of the ODI series next year. With the IPL generally getting over towards the latter half of May, and the ODI series against Afghanistan starting in June, there is a chance that he might skip the matches, which could further hamper his quest to glory.

There is also a possibility that the Asia Cup 2027 could be hosted before the World Cup, which would further give Kohli a chance to score hundreds.

100 centuries record, a realistic dream?

Kohli had one of the best primes a player could imagine. He dominated Test cricket, was the best in T20Is, but it was in the ODIs where he truly became the best in the world. From 2016-19, the former captain amassed 20 ODI tons in 76 matches and had an average of 80.98.

It is to be remembered that in his prime, he scored 20 hundreds in ODIs, and hence, the job of scoring 17 hundreds in 31 potential ODI matches is nearly impossible. For that to happen, Kohli almost has to score a century in every second game to get to the target set by Tendulkar. Nothing is impossible, but considering Kohli has to play like a robot in the remaining matches, the task is a bit difficult.

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