Can Virat Kohli still break Sachin Tendulkar's 100 centuries record in international cricket?

Virat Kohli has been relentless in breaking records ever since he stepped into international cricket and was once on track to surpass the seemingly unbreakable 100-century milestone of Sachin Tendulkar.

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A prolonged slump in form and a halt in picking up consistent milestones may have slowed down his chase of the daunting target. But with 82 centuries to his name, Kohli might be the only batter currently who stands a chance of closing the gap on the Master Blaster's record.

However, Tendulkar's path to century of centuries wasn't smooth either - it took 24 years of sweat, 782 innings of grinding it on the field across the three formats. 

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With Kohli's Test retirement on May 12, 2025, The Sporting News looks at the question: can the 'King' really catch up with the 'God' of cricket?

How many international centuries does Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar have?

As of May 2025, Kohli still trails Tendulkar's 100 tons record by 18 centuries.

While his average of over 50 surpasses Master Blaster's 48.52, he still lags in terms of the runs scored and innings batted.

Kohli has played 123 Tests, 302 ODIs, and 125 T20I matches, while Tendulkar featured in 200 Tests, 463 ODIs, and just 1 T20I.

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Chances of Virat Kohli breaking Sachin Tendulkar's 100 centuries in internationals

Kohli was a favourite to break Tendulkar's 100 century milestone in internationals, but following his retirement from Test cricket and T20Is, the challenge might have just gotten a little harder.

The Indian superstar announced his red-ball retirement on May 12, 2025. He had previously called it a day in T20Is following India's T20 World Cup victory in 2024.

This leaves him with only a single format, ODIs, for him to score the remaining 18 centuries and equal Tendulkar's record.

How many more ODIs can Virat Kohli play before 2027 ODI World Cup?

According to India's Future Tours Programme, India will play a total of 27 matches before the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.

Kohli is expected to continue his presence in the ODI team until this tournament. If India reaches the Final of that World Cup, it would give him another 12 matches. 

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That brings the equation for Kohli down to 18 centuries in 39 ODI matches. With age catching up at 36, it remains to be seen whether he can continue to rack up hundreds and stay in the chase of this milestone.

The 2027 World Cup is expected to be Kohli's last tournament, and with only ODIs left to play, the milestone appears to be a monumental ask. But if the 36-year-old decides to play beyond that while chasing the seemingly unattainable milestone, he could be well within reach.

India's full schedule of the ODI matches until the 2027 World Cup