Can Virat Kohli Reach 100 International Centuries Before the 2027 World Cup?

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Can Virat Kohli Reach 100 International Centuries Before the 2027 World Cup?: After Indian batting legend and former captain Virat Kohli scored his 50th ODI century during the 2023 ODI World Cup, a new question has arisen in the cricket world. Can he reach 100 international centuries before ending his illustrious career?

Virat Kohli currently has 83 international centuries (30 Tests, 52 ODIs, 1 T20I), and recently scored his 83rd. To reach this incredible milestone, he needs 17 more centuries.

Is ODI Format Enough for Virat Kohli's 100th Century?

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Assuming that after the 2023 World Cup, the 37-year-old Kohli had retired from T20Is (June 2024) and Test cricket (May 2025) (this is a hypothetical scenario), he now only has the One Day International (ODI) format left to achieve the challenging milestone of 100 centuries.

The 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will likely be his last major tournament in international cricket, so he has a limited timeframe to complete the remaining 17 centuries.

17 centuries vs 32 Matches: Impossible Target or Kohli's Magic?

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To reach the historic and incredible mark of 100 centuries, Kohli will need to score 17 more centuries.

Assessment of Available Matches:

• The Indian team has a minimum of 32 ODI matches scheduled until the end of the 2027 World Cup (23 ODIs by December 2026, plus a possible 9 group stage matches).
• This number could increase marginally if India advances to the World Cup or plays additional bilateral series.

17 Centuries Needed in 32 Matches

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To achieve this target of 17 centuries in 32 matches, Kohli will need to score a century in almost every other innings. That means he would have to maintain an unprecedented and incredible rate of a century every 1.88 innings.

This is a Herculean task, as he would have to maintain his career-best form for several consecutive years. This rate is even higher than any of his previous brilliant periods. This challenge is not impossible, but it is certainly very difficult, given Virat's ability.

Statistical Reality Check: The Century Rate Challenge

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Statistically, the odds of scoring 17 more centuries in a given number of matches go against this greatest batsman of the modern era.

Period	Century Rate (Approximately)
Current Target (32 matches)	Century in almost every second innings
ODI Rate in 2018	A century in about every 5 to 6 innings
Career Average (ODI)	A century in about every 6 innings Centuries

It's clear that maintaining a rate of exactly 17 centuries in 32 matches, despite Virat's exceptional form, is extremely underestimated. While these statistics paint a difficult picture, Kohli is still on track to surpass Kumar Sangakkara in total international runs, and break several other records.

Also Read: Watch Video: Virat Kohli scored his 83rd century against South Africa

The Final Verdict: Can Virat Kohli score 100 centuries by the 2027 World Cup?

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Reaching 100 centuries would be one of the most remarkable achievements in cricket history. It would elevate Sachin Tendulkar's record to a level that may be unattainable for any player in the future.

Even if he doesn't reach this milestone, the records he set and his dedication to the game will forever keep him among the greatest cricketers of all time. His career till the 2027 World Cup will have a glorious final chapter, which every cricket fan will watch with enthusiasm.

Also Read: IND vs SA 2nd ODI Date, When will the match be played? Where to watch streaming?

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