Virat Kohli and Joe Root have two of Sachin Tendulkar’s records in sight, records they can break. But they are different: Kohli can reach 100 centuries, something only Tendulkar has done, and Root can surpass Tendulkar’s Test run tally of 15,921.
Former Indian cricketer and batting coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru Dinesh Karthik gave his view on the matter, saying it is tougher for Kohli to get to 100 centuries.
“I really wish he does, but I think it is very hard,” Dinesh Karthik said of Kohli’s chances on Cricbuzz.
“Good chance. They play a lot of Test cricket. He still looks quite fit. He is happily scoring runs every time he goes out to bat. So, I think it looks very possible for him,” Karthik said on Root.
Kohli became the second player after the great Sachin Tendulkar to reach 15,000 runs in the 50-over format during the 1st ODI against West Indies. Tendulkar took 377 innings to reach the milestone while Kohli did it in 303.
With the talismanic India batter in hot form, Kohli will look to win his second ODI World Cup after clinching the trophy on home soil in 2011. He had a chance to repeat that feat on in 2023 but suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the final against Australia.
The upcoming World Cup will be Kohli’s fifth ODI World Cup and he has said that it’s going to be his last one.
“For me, it’s the last World Cup I’m going to play for India. That is my motivation and like, you know, to leave everything out there. And of course, the goal is absolutely to win the World Cup and whatever it takes, I’m absolutely ready,” Kohli told broadcaster JioStar on Saturday.
“The intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater than anything. Because now, it’s about 10 games at a Twenty20 level of intensity. But you are playing 2.5 T20 games in one day. And to maintain that intensity for 10 games in a big tournament and World Cup is a big deal. Also now, it’s in foreign conditions. It takes a lot out of you,” he had added.