Can Virat Kohli Break Sachin Tendulkar's 100 Centuries Record in ODIs?

Virat Kohli has been relentless in breaking records since his international cricket debut, but one milestone has proven elusive: Sachin Tendulkar's 100 centuries record. As of July 16, 2026, Kohli trails Tendulkar by 15 centuries, despite boasting an impressive average of over 50.

What happened?

Kohli's prolonged slump in form and retirement from Test cricket and T20Is have made it harder for him to catch up with Tendulkar's record. The Indian superstar announced his red-ball retirement on May 12, 2025, leaving him with only ODIs to score the remaining 16 centuries and equal Tendulkar's record.

Why it matters for Virat Kohli

Kohli's age, 37, is also a concern, as he will have to continue to rack up hundreds in a short span of time to stay in the chase of this milestone. The 2027 World Cup is expected to be Kohli's last tournament, and with only ODIs remaining, the milestone appears to be a monumental challenge.

What comes next?

According to India's Future Tours Programme, India will play a total of 15 matches before the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. Kohli is expected to remain in the ODI team until the end of this tournament. If India reaches the Final of that World Cup, it would give him another 12 matches. That brings the equation for Kohli down to 15 centuries in 27 ODI matches.

Kohli's path to a century of centuries won't be smooth, just like Tendulkar's. It took Tendulkar 24 years of sweat and 782 innings of grinding it out on the field across the three formats to achieve the feat. Kohli will have to put in a similar amount of effort to close the gap on Tendulkar's record.

The question remains: Can the 'King' really catch up with the 'God' of cricket? Only time will tell if Kohli can break Tendulkar's 100 centuries record in ODIs before the 2027 World Cup.

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