Can Virat Kohli realistically chase Sachin Tendulkar’s 100-century landmark before he retires?

A dream that seemed to have concluded following his temporary retirement has been revived, as fans are once again filled with hope that Virat Kohli can achieve the milestone of 100 international centuries before he says farewell to ODI cricket, following his remarkable comeback with consecutive centuries against South Africa. Despite media speculation suggesting that the Indian team management does not envision Kohli and Rohit Sharma as part of their plans for the 2027 World Cup, the iconic pair have allowed their performances to speak for themselves, leading to the reasonable assumption that both will continue playing ODI cricket until the grand event, which is set to occur in nearly two years.

At present, Kohli boasts 84 international centuries, just 16 shy of Tendulkar's coveted record. Notably, aside from these two Indian batting legends, no other player has surpassed 70 centuries, with Ricky Ponting ranking third on the all-time list. Throughout his illustrious career, Tendulkar accumulated 51 Test centuries and 49 ODI tons. In contrast, Kohli has achieved 53 ODI centuries, alongside 30 Test centuries and one three-figure score in T20Is.

India has one remaining ODI match in 2025, which will be the third game of the current series on Saturday (December 6). Starting in 2026, the number of ODIs is expected to rise significantly. As it stands, India is slated to play 21 ODIs before the 2027 IPL, according to the Future Tour Programme. Additionally, India's tour to Bangladesh, originally scheduled for 2025, has been postponed to 2026.

The 2027 ODI World Cup is set to occur in October-November 2027, where India could potentially play 10-11 matches in the 14-team format, should they advance to the final. Prior to that, the Men in Blue will compete in the Asia Cup, where they could play six matches if they reach the final.

It is important to note that the Future Tour Programme has only been announced up to March 2027, and India may have additional ODIs before the World Cup.

Kohli is now just 16 centuries away from achieving the remarkable milestone of 100 centuries, which translates to an average of 2-3 centuries per match. Throughout his career, he has amassed 53 centuries in 307 ODIs, spanning 295 innings. This results in an impressive rate of 5.73 centuries per match and 5.56 per innings. To reach the coveted 100-century mark, the Indian cricket icon will need to nearly double his current century rate as he approaches the end of his career.

Between 2016 and 2018, a period often considered Kohli's prime, he scored 15 centuries in just 50 matches, averaging 3.33 centuries per innings. If the 37-year-old can replicate this performance, he could come very close to the milestone.

Since December 2022, when Kohli ended a 3.5-year century drought in ODIs against Bangladesh, he has recorded 10 centuries in only 45 matches, averaging 4.5 centuries per innings. This pace exceeds his career average, but he will need to further increase it to reach his goal.

With a player of Kohli's caliber, the possibilities are endless, and dismissing the chance of reaching the 100-century mark would be unwise. However, it remains a challenging target that may seem out of reach.

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