Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has predicted that Virat Kohli will finish his international career with 98 centuries, leaving him two short of Sachin Tendulkar’s record tally of 100 international hundreds. Chopra made the prediction during an interaction with ESPNcricinfo, following Kohli’s recent confirmation that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his final major tournament for India. Kohli has already retired from Test and T20I cricket.

Kohli currently has 86 international centuries across formats, including a record 55 ODI hundreds. He reached the landmark during India’s first ODI against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram, adding another milestone to an international career that has already placed him among the leading run-scorers in ODI cricket. Chopra’s projection of 98 hundreds would leave Kohli just short of Tendulkar’s long-standing international record.

Kohli’s century against the West Indies also helped him move up to second place in the latest ICC ODI batting rankings. He received a rating of 796 points, moving one position higher after the innings. India teammate Shubman Gill retained the top position with 816 rating points after also scoring a century in the same match, keeping Kohli second in the rankings.

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The former India captain also became only the second batter to complete 15,000 runs in ODI cricket. Tendulkar was the first player to reach the landmark, while Kohli’s achievement further extended his position as the second-highest run-scorer in the format. He moved past former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara in October 2025, with Sangakkara having accumulated 14,243 ODI runs.

Kohli’s place among the format’s leading run-scorers has remained significant as he approaches the later stages of his international career. Sangakkara is third on the all-time ODI run-scoring list, followed by former Australia captain Ricky Ponting with 13,704 runs from 375 matches. Former Sri Lanka opener Sanath Jayasuriya occupies fifth place with 13,430 runs from 448 ODIs.

With the 2027 ODI World Cup identified as Kohli’s final major tournament for India, the remaining period of his international career will determine how close he gets to Tendulkar’s century record. Chopra’s prediction of 98 would require Kohli to score 12 more international centuries from his current tally of 86, while the veteran batter continues to add to his ODI records.

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