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Virat Kohli has once again brought his huge international century record into the spotlight. Virat Kohli has recently smashed his 86th international hundred in the first ODI against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram, and also completed 15,000 ODI runs.
Kohli is now 14 centuries away from Sachin Tendulkar’s world record of 100 international hundreds. With Kohli retired from Tests and T20Is, he can now add to his century tally only in ODIs. Earlier, Virat Kohli finally reveals his conversations with Shubman Gill in the middle.
The former Indian captain also confirmed that the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 will be his final one, so the target of 100 centuries seems like a tough one, but Ajinkya Rahane doesn’t think so.
Ajinkya Rahane says Virat Kohli chases Sachin Tendulkar’s 100-century record
Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane feels Virat Kohli is chasing the 100-century record in his mind, and there is nothing wrong with it. He believes that his former India teammate has always set high expectations for himself and that self-pressure has played a big role in his incredible consistency.
Ajinkya Rahane said on Cricbuzz, "I think when Virat Kohli puts pressure on himself, he does it well. He has done that every inning. He has his own expectations. That's why he has been able to consistently do it for so many years.
Knowing Virat, even if he is thinking about scoring 100 international centuries, there is nothing wrong with it. Sachin Tendulkar has been his role model, so I am sure he must be thinking about it. I believe Virat Kohli can achieve it, and he could reach 100 centuries in 34-35 innings.”
Rahane wants Kohli to enjoy the game while chasing the world record
India’s former Test vice-captain has insisted that there is nothing wrong with thinking about such a milestone. He admitted that many times, people feel that if a player thinks about milestones, it means he is being selfish, but Kohli knows how to put pressure on himself and perform under it.
Rahane further said, “So, I am sure he will have a number in his mind to do it sensually. But in his second mind, he will also have to enjoy the game. As long as he is playing, he has to enjoy the game.” Amid this, Aakash Chopra advises Rohit Sharma to improve this area of his batting.
Ajinkya Rahane says youngsters can learn a lot from Kohli
The former KKR captain also praised Kohli’s fitness, consistency, and attitude. He highlighted how difficult it is to maintain the same intensity and hunger for many years, especially when a player is already highly successful and then retires from two formats of the game.
Rahane said that the former Indian captain’s discipline, fitness, and approach to the game are valuable lessons for the younger generation of cricketers. The former India captain further explained, “I think the youngsters who are growing up, there is a lot to learn from Virat Kohli.”
The commentator added, “The consistency that he is showing, the fitness that he is showing. He is playing only ODIs now. But to come and play with the same intensity and the same attitude, it's not easy. Many times it happens that you become complacent. But with Virat, we've not seen that. Every single time. He is there. He has given more than 100%. So, lots to learn from him.”
