Virat Kohli scored 139 not out against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, 2026. It was his 55th ODI century, his 86th international hundred, and the 14th time he had moved within touching distance of a record that once seemed untouchable .
Sachin Tendulkar finished with 100 international centuries. Kohli has 86. The gap is 14. The math is simple. The reality is not.
The All-Time List (Updated September 2026)
Here is where the record books stand:
| Rank | Player | International Centuries | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | 100 | 664 |
| 2 | Virat Kohli | 86 | 564 |
| 3 | Ricky Ponting | 71 | 560 |
| 4 | Kumar Sangakkara | 63 | 594 |
| 5 | Jacques Kallis | 62 | 519 |
Where Kohli’s 86 Come From
The breakdown matters more than the total.
55 ODI centuries — the most in history, ahead of Tendulkar’s 49 .
30 Test centuries — a format Kohli no longer plays.
1 T20I century — a format Kohli retired from in 2024 .
The 30 Test hundreds are frozen. The 1 T20I hundred is frozen. Only the ODI column is alive.
My Take: The Uncomfortable Truth About 100
Here is what the headlines will miss. Kohli is not chasing 100 centuries. He is chasing 14 ODI centuries, and he is doing it with a clock that is running out faster than anyone wants to admit.
Kohli retired from Test cricket in May 2025 . He retired from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup . He has confirmed that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last tournament . He turns 38 next month .
That means the 14 centuries must come in ODIs, between now and the end of the 2027 World Cup. That is roughly one year of cricket. Fourteen hundreds in one year of ODIs is not a record chase. It is a fantasy.
Aakash Chopra, the former India opener, has predicted Kohli will finish with 98 centuries — two short of Tendulkar . That prediction is not pessimism. It is math. Chopra understands what the numbers say: Kohli will get close, but the schedule, the age, and the format restrictions will leave him just short.
Ajinkya Rahane offered a different view, saying Kohli can do it if he sets his mind to it . That is the romantic view. The brutal view is that Tendulkar played 664 matches to score 100 centuries . Kohli has played 564 . The difference is not just 14 centuries. It is 100 matches of opportunity that Kohli will never get.
The Fastest Hundred of His Career (And What It Meant)
The 139 against West Indies came off 88 balls. Kohli reached his century in 74 balls, the third-fastest ODI hundred of his career . It was vintage Kohli: nine sixes, ten fours, a chase that never looked like failing.
It was also his 10th ODI century against the West Indies, putting him level with his 10 against Sri Lanka. He is the first batter to score 10 ODI centuries against two different opponents .
Those are the numbers that make people believe. But belief is not a strategy.
What Happens Next
Kohli will keep playing ODIs until the 2027 World Cup. He will score more centuries. He might reach 90. He might reach 95.
But 100? The math says no. The heart says maybe. And Kohli has spent his entire career proving that the heart sometimes wins.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many international centuries does Virat Kohli have?
86, as of September 2026. That includes 55 ODI centuries, 30 Test centuries, and 1 T20I century .
How many centuries does Sachin Tendulkar have?
100 international centuries — 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs .
Can Virat Kohli break Sachin Tendulkar’s record?
He needs 14 more. He only plays ODIs now, and the 2027 World Cup is his last tournament. Aakash Chopra predicts he will finish with 98 .
What is Virat Kohli’s highest ODI score?
183 against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup .