Cricket

Can Virat Kohli break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 centuries?

 

In 2012, when the great Sachin Tendulkar flicked the ball on the leg side for a single off Shakib Al Hasan to score his hundredth ton, hardly anyone would have thought that the record could ever be emulated, let alone broken. Fast forward eight years and we have Virat Kohli, who was one-year-old when Tendulkar made his debut, in striking distance of the Little Master’s most prestigious record – a century of centuries.

Kohli, with 21,901 runs across formats, is the highest run-getter in international cricket among active players currently. En route, the right-handed batsman has struck 70 centuries – a number only behind Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 and Ricky Ponting’s 71 tons.
 





Barring any unforeseeable developments, the Delhi player will definitely go beyond Ponting’s record, but the big question is – will he be able to go past Tendulkar? Here’s a look at the probabilities.

Kohli and Tendulkar at 31

 




Table: Centuries at age of 31: Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli

Currently 31-years-old, Kohli has scored 27 Test hundreds and 43 ODI tons already. Interestingly, Tendulkar, at the age of 31, had the exact same number of centuries (70). Compared to Kohli, Sachin had more success in the longest format with 33 tons but had lesser ODI centuries with 37.

Considering the total number of matches taken, Tendulkar took 447 matches to accumulate his 70 tons while Virat took only 416.

Longevity

A crucial factor that’s bound to play a role is the longevity of Kohli’s career. Considering Kohli is one of the fittest athletes in the world, it is safe to assume he will play for the next six to seven years.

At the current rate, the India skipper is scoring an average of 2650 runs every year since the last four years along with 9 centuries per annum.

Even if we factor in a drop in form with age, 5 centuries per annum for the next six years would see Kohli catch up to Tendulkar.

Another point that tilts the scale in Kohli’s favour is the number of matches per hundred. The Delhi lad takes 6.5 innings to score a hundred whereas Sachin took almost 8 innings to get a ton. The superior conversion rate means Kohli can get to the golden figure much faster.

Modern-day cricket favours Kohli

Cricket, especially the limit-overs formats, has shifted a lot more towards the batsman’s favour in recent years with most games being high-scoring ones. Three hundred runs in an ODI which felt like a monumental score even a decade ago, has now become a norm. Shorter boundaries, fielding restrictions and faster outfields have made it easier for the batsmen to pile up runs.

All these factors further strengthen Kohli’s case to race towards the magic figure. Considering the stats, the real question may be ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ Kohli will breach Tendulkar’s special record.

 

 

By Sportz Interactive

 

 

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post

Recent Posts

India Falls to Chile in Shootout After 2–2 Draw at Four Nations Junior Women’s Hockey Tournament

The Indian junior women’s hockey team suffered a narrow defeat against Chile in a tense… Read More

May 30, 2025

Shreyas Iyer’s Misjudged Aggression Costs Punjab Kings in Qualifier Blowout

Punjab Kings’ journey to the IPL 2025 final suffered a massive blow after a disappointing… Read More

May 30, 2025

Harry Maguire Hopes to See Indian Talent in Premier League, Backs Grassroots Football Initiatives

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has expressed optimism about the future of Indian football, stating… Read More

May 30, 2025

Salt’s blazing fifty helps RCB crush PBKS in record-breaking playoff win

Nine years after their last appearance in an IPL final, Royal Challengers Bengaluru became the… Read More

May 30, 2025

Josh Hazlewood opens up on playing in IPL before WTC Final, says he is got to be bowling

Royal Challengers Bengaluru fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has said playing in the IPL is not… Read More

May 30, 2025