Former Indian cricketers Dinesh Karthik and Ajinkya Rahane strongly believe that Virat Kohli can score 100 international centuries if he stays focused and consistent with his form. Especially after scoring his 86th international ton against West Indies, the question arises of whether Kohli can break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of the 100-ton mark.

The opening match against West Indies saw Virat record a quickfire century by scoring an unbeaten 139-run knock off just 88 deliveries faced, which included 10 fours and 9 sixes. He batted at a strike rate of 157.95 and unleashed his fearless batting style.

Kohli accomplished his half-century in 40 balls and reached his 55th ODI ton in 74 deliveries. However, in the last 14 balls, he proved to be absolutely destructive by amassing 39 runs. Also, he smashed nine sixes in a single innings, which is the most in his ODI career.

After smashing a sensational ton, the question resurfaces: can Kohli achieve 100 international centuries? Let’s take a look at Virat’s former teammates’ opinions.

Ability to Convert Pressure into Performance: Rahane’s Opinion

During the recent media interaction on Cricbuzz, Ajinkya Rahane explained that high-pressure matches extract the greatest performances from Kohli.

“Certainly! Virat Kohli is at his best whenever he adds pressure on himself. It isn’t new to him, as he has done this in every innings. He expects a lot from his own game and has set very high standards for himself. That is the main reason behind his consistency for so many years.

If you believe Virat can score 100 centuries, there is nothing wrong with it. Sachin Tendulkar has been his role model, and I am sure he must have set his target. If anyone is capable of achieving 100 tons, then it is only Kohli who can do it.

At times we think that a player is just concerned about milestones and can do anything selfishly. In the case of Kohli, it is different. Even though he may have the numbers and target on his mind, at the same time he would ensure to enjoy his game as long as he continues to play,” Rahane said.

According to Rahane, if Kohli starts focusing on his personal milestone, he would definitely achieve 100 centuries. As of now, he is not focused on breaking records and is keen to play good cricket and win matches for his team.

Dinesh Karthik Believes Kohli’s Abilities: Warning Against 100-Ton Pressure!

According to Dinesh Karthik, the desire to score 100 international centuries is purely from fans rather than Virat Kohli’s ambition.

The former wicketkeeper-batter believes in Kohli’s ability to achieve this exceptional milestone. At the same time, he highlights the difficulty of scoring another 14 centuries, as Kohli could have around 35 to 36 ODIs left. 

“See! Right now, if any cricketer in the world can do it, there is only one who can achieve it. It is none other than Virat Kohli. But I suggest not adding too much pressure on him at this stage.

Let him play in his own style and enjoy the game. We should also enjoy it rather than focusing on his records. Right now, there are very rare chances to achieve it.

No matter if he finishes with 86 or 90 or 95 centuries, we should enjoy the entertainment for what he has given us for more than a decade,” Karthik explained during his interaction on Cricbuzz.

Is Kohli the Greatest ODI Batsman? DK’s Opinion

Furthermore, Dinesh Karthik believes if Virat Kohli reaches the 100-century mark, he would be named alongside Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest ODI batsman in Indian cricket. Here is what Kohli’s former teammate had to say:

“Yeah! Placing both of them on the same platform would be absolutely great. Even if Kohli doesn’t accomplish that milestone, he would still retain his place among the great Indian cricketers,” Karthik added.

Karthik Explains How Kohli Influenced Young Generation Cricketers

Virat Kohli has been a huge role model for youngsters, and Dinesh Karthik feels the same. His fearless and aggressive approach has taught the current generation of players to play with high energy.

Also, Kohli set an example of how to win big matches, whether played in India or overseas conditions. Here is what DK said:

“Absolutely! Generations of cricketers, particularly the youth across the sport as well as those individuals watching the sport, were truly inspired by him. No matter if a match is played at home or away, his aggressive manner makes it easy to achieve special things,” Karthik explained.

Final Opinion

After retiring from test cricket in May 2025, Virat Kohli’s strokeplay has become even more aggressive. In contrast to his earlier approach, the veteran batter is keen to make use of the opportunities to accumulate runs in the earlier phases of his innings.

Before 2025, Kohli’s strike rate for the first 10 balls he faced was just 72, but now it is more than 100.

Even though Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik are confident of Virat’s talent, they doubt about reaching the 100-ton record with 30 to 35 ODIs remaining.

Had Kohli not retired from Test cricket, scoring another 14 international centuries would have been easily attainable. Also, being an active solo-format player makes the challenge more complicated.

Regardless of the 30 to 35 matches left for Virat Kohli to score 14 tons, his new attacking mindset ignites hopes among fans and experts that the run-machine can break Sachin Tendulkar’s greatest record.