Ex-India coach gives verdict on whether Virat Kohli can break Sachin Tendulkar's record

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has given his verdict on whether Virat Kohli will be able to break Sachin Tendulkar's record in ODI cricket. Speaking on Star Sports, Bangar stated that if Team India ends up reaching the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup later this year, then there is a realistic chance of Kohli going past Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI hundreds. Kohli has so far scored 44 centuries in the format and is just six hundreds away from breaking the legendary Indian player's record. 

"He has done that at a breathtaking pace because to reach 44 hundreds so young in his career is a fabulous achievement. But for me, can he do it this season taking into account the number of games that India have - maybe 26 or 27 if they eventually end up reaching the finals, then obviously there is a realistic chance that he can touch that milestone," Bangar said.

"He will have to bat out of his skin because as somebody who is playing all the formats, he will have to take regular breaks. I think the breaks will now be in the T20 format, not so much in the 50-over format. I don't think he will touch it but he will get pretty close," he added.

Kohli's return to form

Kohli reached his 44th ODI century during a match against Bangladesh last month. He scored 113 off 91 balls to bring up his 72nd international hundred, becoming the batter with the second-most international centuries after Tendulkar. 

The 34-year-old had been out of form since coming out of the prolonged break caused due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the Delhi-born cricketer regained his form during the 2022 Asia Cup in the UAE, where he smashed his maiden T20I hundred against Afghanistan. Kohli was also phenomenal during the recently-concluded T20 World Cup in Australia, where he finished as the highest run-scorer of the tournament.

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