Virat Kohli’s Quest to Break Sachin Tendulkar’s 100-Century Record Faces Tough Odds Ahead of 2027 ODI World Cup

For more than a decade, cricket fans have eagerly anticipated the possibility of Virat Kohli surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s legendary record of 100 international centuries. Kohli’s recent form, featuring back-to-back hundreds against South Africa and bringing his tally to 84 centuries, has reignited this conversation. However, the mathematics of the pursuit remain challenging.

Kohli, who turned 37 last month, now plays only the ODI format after retiring from Tests and T20Is. He concluded his Test career with 30 centuries and ended his T20I journey with one, while maintaining dominance in ODIs with 53 centuries, the most in the world. To reach Tendulkar’s milestone, Kohli still needs 16 more centuries. While 16 centuries might seem achievable in isolation, the context makes the task extremely difficult.

Tendulkar, by comparison, enjoyed a 24-year international career, playing 664 matches before retiring at 40. Kohli’s retirement from two formats before turning 37, coupled with his focus solely on ODIs and the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup in 2027, limits his window to chase the record. It is widely expected that Kohli will retire from international cricket after the World Cup.

Assuming India reaches the World Cup final, Kohli’s remaining schedule could include roughly 41 ODIs: 18 matches across six three-match bilateral series in 2026, a possible six-match Asia Cup, 11 World Cup matches, and a couple of preparatory bilateral series. To achieve 16 centuries in 41 matches, Kohli would need to score a century every 2.56 innings—an unprecedented rate, even for a batsman of his caliber.

Kohli’s career ODI century rate stands at one every 5.54 innings, although in his last 42 ODIs, the rate has improved to one every 4.66 innings. While this is impressive, it remains insufficient to realistically reach the 100-century mark before the expected end of his career. The combination of age, format restrictions, and match opportunities makes breaking Tendulkar’s record an extraordinary challenge, keeping cricket fans both hopeful and realistic about the chase.