‘Virat Kohli will hit more centuries than Sachin Tendulkar
Former India cricketers are sure Virat Kohli will break Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most ODI centuries and eclipse the legend
From zero centuries to three in six months, it’s almost as if Virat Kohli’s century drought is now a thing of the past. Kohli, the former India captain, has finally rediscovered the groove that made him the most feared batter in world cricket, kicking off the year 2023 with a record 45th ODI century against Sri Lanka in the series opener in Guwahati. Kohli blasted 113 off 87 balls, shattering two massive Sachin Tendulkar records, and was instrumental in India’s imposing 67-run victory.
On a batter’s paradise of a surface. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Shreyas Iyer all made their debuts, but only Kohli continued. Sure, he got a couple of lifelines from Sri Lanka, who dropped him on 52 and 81, but who doesn’t? With yet another century, Kohli moved one step closer to tying Tendulkar for the most ODI centuries by a batter. Tendulkar leads the charts with 49, while Kohli is only four behind. From here on out, it’s a matter of when, not if, Kohli reaches the pinnacle.
Former India cricket players Gautam Gambhir and Sanjay Manjrekar are certain that Kohli will surpass Tendulkar’s record. The two-star batters of their respective eras have been compared for as long as the mind can remember, and while Gambhir is not a fan of drawing parallels between cricketers from different generations due to vast changes in rules, the two-time World Cup-winning batter believes Kohli is the undisputed kind of the current era.
“To be honest, it’s not about the record. In 50-overs cricket, Virat Kohli will score far more centuries than Sachin Tendulkar. The rules have changed, as you can see. You should not make comparisons between eras. It’s also unfair to compare eras where there was only one new ball to now when there are two new balls with five fielders inside. But, yes, he is a master of this format and has demonstrated it for such a long time “Gambhir stated on Star Sports’ Byju’s Cricket Show.
Manjrekar, too, has “no doubts” about Kohli’s ascension to the top and believes Virat will surpass Tendulkar in a year and a half. Manjrekar emphasized Kohli’s greatness by pointing out that, unlike Sachin, Virat has spent the majority of his cricket career batting at No. 3, making his century achievements all the more remarkable.
“He is not an opener, so he will not be there from ball one in every 50-overs game, and you will have to look at the entire innings to get a hundred. He has mostly batted at three, so that is something to think about. I am confident that he will surpass Tendulkar in one-day hundreds. It only takes four hundreds to equal Tendulkar. It could happen within the next year and a half. It’s a 50-over World Cup year, so I think it’s possible “During the same show, Manjrekar added to Gambhir’s take.
