Kohli’s Test retirement leaves Tendulkar’s 100-century record untouched

It is rare in modern cricket for any batter to be realistically compared with the towering records of Sachin Tendulkar. Yet for more than a decade, Virat Kohli appeared to be the one cricketer with the stature, consistency, and hunger to potentially surpass the Indian legend’s most iconic milestone, 100 international centuries. However, with Kohli’s unexpected retirement from Test cricket on Monday, that dream now seems all but over.

In a poetic twist of fate, Tendulkar had once named Kohli and Rohit Sharma as the only two players he believed could break his record. That statement came during an award ceremony shortly after Tendulkar notched his own 100th international ton. But fast forward to this week, and both Kohli and Rohit have now stepped away from Test cricket, narrowing their chances of making history.

Kohli exits the Test arena with 30 centuries to his name in the format, and a total tally of 82 international hundreds, 51 in ODIs and one in T20Is. That leaves him 18 short of Tendulkar’s magical three-figure mark. With just the ODI format left in his international career, and realistically only a couple of years of high-level cricket remaining, the probability of Kohli scoring 19 more centuries seems increasingly remote.

Compounding that challenge is the uncertain future of 50-over cricket. With debates surrounding the format’s relevance and a shrinking calendar, opportunities are limited. India is slated to play only 27 ODIs leading up to the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, including a short three-match series against Bangladesh in August-September. Even if Kohli plays every game, the margin for error is slim, and the physical toll of the game will only grow heavier with time.

Tendulkar’s century record, built over an illustrious career of 200 Test matches and 463 ODIs, included 51 centuries in Tests and 49 in ODIs. Kohli’s final numbers, 30 Test centuries, 51 in ODIs, and one in T20Is, place him second on the all-time list but still well behind.

Rohit Sharma, too, has an impressive tally with 49 centuries across formats (12 in Tests, 32 in ODIs, and five in T20Is), but his Test retirement limits further progress.

Beyond these two, no current player seems capable of mounting a challenge. Ricky Ponting (71), Kumar Sangakkara (63), Jacques Kallis (62), and Hashim Amla (55) have already retired. Among active players, Joe Root (53), Steve Smith (48), and Kane Williamson (48) are all entering the twilight of their careers.

(With PTI inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day