Virat Kohli Nears Sachin Tendulkar’s Iconic Record: Is a New Benchmark on the Horizon?
Virat Kohli hits 102 in Raipur to reach 84 international tons, now two home centuries behind Sachin Tendulkar.
Virat Kohli answered every question about his form with a steady and confident 102 off 93 balls against South Africa in Raipur. His innings at No. 3 came with seven fours and two sixes, and it pushed his international tally to 84 centuries.
The knock was also his 53rd ODI hundred, a mark that keeps pulling him closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s numbers. Kohli now has 40 international centuries at home, only two short of Tendulkar’s record of 42. It is a chase that once felt distant but now looks within reach.
Lungi Ngidi finally removed him, but not before the crowd enjoyed another classic. Kohli controlled the tempo and looked settled from the start. This innings also added to his rise after a rough stretch. He had back to back ducks in Australia, but he turned things around with 74 not out in Sydney and then a sharp 135 in Ranchi. The Raipur ton felt like the final brushstroke on a strong comeback run.
Most Centuries at Home:
| Pos | Player | Centuries |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | 42 |
| 2 | Virat Kohli | 40 |
| 3 | Ricky Ponting | 36 |
| 4 | Joe Root | 34 |
| 5 | David Warner | 31 |
The leaderboard for home centuries reads like a list of greats. Tendulkar has 42. Kohli follows with 40. Then comes Ricky Ponting with 36, Joe Root with 34, and David Warner with 31. Kohli is the only active player in the top two, and his strike rate in recent months shows he is not slowing down.
This milestone also arrived at a moment when many wondered about his international future. The runs in Raipur felt like his answer. He looked calm, sure, and fully in control of his game. Fans saw the same hunger that has powered him through more than a decade of chasing targets and breaking records.
Kohli spoke about shutting out noise in the past, saying he likes to let the bat do the talking. This century felt exactly like that. It gave India a strong platform in the innings and added another chapter to a career that keeps growing.
