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Can Virat Kohli Still Break Sachin Tendulkar’s 100-Century Record After Test Retirement?

Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket on May 12, 2025, has significantly dimmed hopes of him breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s iconic record of 100 international centuries. With 82 centuries to his name—30 in Tests, 51 in ODIs, and one in T20Is—Kohli now has only the ODI format to chase the remaining 18 tons. However, India is scheduled to play just 27 ODIs before the 2027 World Cup, possibly extending to 39 matches if India reaches the final. Given Kohli’s age (36) and the limited fixtures, surpassing Tendulkar’s milestone appears highly improbable, making the Master Blaster's record likely unbreakable.

Zee Media Bureau |

Updated:May 13, 2025, 08:09 AM IST

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1. Kohli’s Test Exit Leaves Only ODIs to Chase Tendulkar’s 100 Hundreds

With retirement from Tests and T20Is, Kohli now has just 51 ODI tons and 18 more to go. He must achieve this feat in a single format—an uphill task with time ticking.

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2. Only 39 ODIs Left Before 2027 World Cup—Time’s Not on Kohli’s Side

India’s ODI calendar features just 27 matches before the 2027 ODI World Cup, and a max of 12 more if India reaches the final. That's 39 innings to score 18 centuries.

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3. At 36, Kohli Faces Age and Form as the Biggest Barriers

Fitness remains Kohli’s strength, but age impacts reflexes. At 36, can he sustain top-level form long enough to produce a century nearly every other game?

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4. Sachin’s 100 Centuries Took 782 Innings—Kohli Has 617 So Far

Tendulkar’s monumental feat came after 24 years of grind. Kohli has had fewer innings, making the remaining target even more daunting with reduced match opportunities.

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5. Tendulkar vs Kohli Stats: Who Has the Better Conversion Rate?

Kohli boasts a higher career average (52.27 vs Tendulkar’s 48.52), but fewer centuries per innings played—proof of consistency, but not necessarily record-breaking pace.

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6. Declining Importance of ODIs Could Hurt Kohli’s Run-Scoring Opportunities

With bilateral ODI series losing relevance, Kohli may not feature in every match, especially with India experimenting ahead of the next World Cup cycle.

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7. Tendulkar Had More Matches, Formats to Play With—Kohli’s Running Out

Tendulkar played 664 matches across three formats. Kohli, now down to just ODIs, has limited avenues to chase down the milestone, making every innings critical.

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8. Rohit and Kohli—Tendulkar’s Chosen Successors—Both Exit Tests Together

In a poetic twist, both players named by Tendulkar as his likely successors in centuries retired from Tests within days of each other, dimming hopes for fans.

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9. Most Centuries in International Cricket—Where Kohli Stands Now

With 82 tons, Kohli sits at No. 2 behind Tendulkar. Next best? Ricky Ponting (71), showing Kohli’s elite status—yet the gap of 18 remains a mammoth one.

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10. Could Kohli Extend His Career Beyond 2027 to Break the Record?

Speculation remains whether Kohli will retire after the 2027 World Cup. If he continues beyond, chasing Tendulkar’s mark could become a dramatic late-career storyline.