VIRAT KOHLI’S CENTURY SURGE: IS THE 100-HUNDRED LANDMARK NOW IN SIGHT?

Old is gold. Class is permanent. Form is temporary. Cricket loves these adages, tossing them out whenever a great player re-announces himself to the world. And yet, after watching Virat Kohli over the past week, all these clichés feel unnecessary. Better to keep it simple: Virat has played like Virat Kohli!

It has been a complete Kohli show in the first two ODIs. South Africa tried, rotated bowlers, leaned on pace, then spin, then variation but nothing quite worked. In the first ODI, Kohli glided, punched, and powered his way to a commanding century that reminded spectators of the era when he made runchases feel like scripted performances.

In the second ODI, even though Ruturaj Gaikwad sparkled with a brilliant century of his own, all roads, narrative, emotion, and attention, still led back to Kohli. He looked hungrier than he has in years, every run collected with laser-sharp composure. His focus was almost intimidating; his intent, unmistakable.

And so, the question returns, louder than ever. Can Virat Kohli get to 100 centuries? Can he overhaul the monumental record set by Sachin Tendulkar, a record Sachin himself once said he would be happy to see broken by an Indian, perhaps by Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli?.

Kohli now sits at 84 international centuries , just 17 away from the Everest of batting milestones. Only 17, but also still 17. That final stretch is where legends often slow down, where wear-and-tear, schedule, age, and lack of games begin to tug at ambition.

So, can he? If Kohli plays until the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, he could feature in 35–45 more ODIs. On paper, that is enough time. In theory, it requires a century every two to three innings, an extraordinary rate, one even peak Kohli (in the 2016– 2018 golden phase) struggled to maintain. It sounds improbable. It sounds excessive. It sounds like something only a statistical fantasy would predict.

Yet, even as the nation debates the “century of centuries,” there is something unmistakable about Kohli’s current mindset. The celebrations aren’t subdued anymore, if anything, the fist-pumps, the roars, the glare of determination look closer to the younger, angrier Kohli who once said that intensity was his greatest source of focus.

It feels as if he has a point to prove to those who quietly wondered if his best days had passed. Maybe that is why India’s loss in the second ODI would sting him more than his hundred might please him. The milestone was secondary, Kohli wanted victory. He always has. And that is why this purple patch matters so much more than any statistic.

Ultimately, it is not about the 100 hundreds. It is about what those hundreds produce. A Kohli in this kind of rhythm does more than gather records, he wins India matches. He anchors tricky periods of the game, steadies collapses, absorbs pressure, and elevates those around him. With Rohit Sharma also in the final stretch of his glittering career, India’s two batting pillars, perhaps the greatest ODI pair since Tendulkar and Ganguly, will define the country’s chances over the next two years.

If both stay fit, both stay hungry and only if both stay in form. That is the real story, not the record book. For a nation obsessed with numbers, landmarks, and statistical fireworks, the temptation to chase the Tendulkar benchmark is understandable. It is historic, romantic, and thrilling. But what India should truly hope for is simpler, Virat Kohli’s fitness, and his continuity. If he maintains those, everything else, runs, centuries, victories, even the grand 100, will take care of themselves.

And if he does somehow reach that summit, it will not be because he set out chasing it. It will be because he spent the next few years doing what he has always done better than almost anyone in cricket history, turning batting into discipline, form into habit, and pressure into art.

Looking ahead, imagine the possibility. If Kohli can carry one last reserve of his greatness into the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, India’s long wait for a third ODI World Cup could finally end. Maybe the stars align. Maybe Rohit leads with wisdom, Kohli with steel, and a younger generation with exuberance. And maybe, just maybe, Kohli adds not just to his century tally but to India’s trophy cabinet, collecting what would be his second World Cup crown.

For now, though, let’s just enjoy what we’re witnessing. Back-to-back centuries from one of the greatest modern cricketers. We’ve all realized that Kohli doesn’t chase moments. Centuries may come and go, but a player like Kohli? He shapes eras. And maybe, just maybe, this era isn’t done yet.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Siddhaarth Mahan, The author is a prolific sports writer, presenter and creates digital sports programmes. He brings a storyteller’s touch for the game’s deeper narratives.