"Either he will have to come back from some retirement" - Aakash Chopra on whether Virat Kohli can reach 100 international centuries

Former India player Aakash Chopra has expressed slight pessimism about Virat Kohli's chances of scoring 100 international centuries. He opined that the modern batting great might either have to take back his Test retirement or continue playing ODIs after the 2027 World Cup to reach the milestone.

Kohli has struck back-to-back centuries in the first two ODIs of the ongoing series against South Africa. It has taken his international century count to 84 - 53 in ODIs, 30 in Tests, and one in T20Is.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener reckoned that Kohli might find it difficult to reach the 100-century mark unless he returns to Test cricket or extends his career beyond the 2027 ODI World Cup.

"The big question is whether Kohli can score 100 centuries. He is 16 centuries away. He has scored back-to-back centuries, so it seems he will keep scoring and won't stop. He can still play 35 to 40 matches by the end of the World Cup. So it seems like he should score them easily. Score a century in every second match, as he is scoring a century every day currently," Chopra said. (4:45)

"It won't be that easy. There is no doubt that they can be scored, but it's extremely difficult. If he has to chase 100 centuries, either he will have to come back from some retirement, that he would also play red-ball cricket now, or else he might have to play even after the World Cup," he added.

Virat Kohli announced his T20I retirement after India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. He called it quits from Tests ahead of the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

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"It can't be scored in every second inning" - Aakash Chopra on the frequency of Virat Kohli's ODI centuries

Virat Kohli's 53 ODI centuries have come in 295 innings.

In the same video, Aakash Chopra cited Virat Kohli's career statistics to point out that the ace batter is unlikely to score a hundred in every second inning.

"For now, it seems like he will keep scoring a hundred in every match, but his career of more than 300 games says that he scores a hundred in every fifth or sixth inning. It can't be scored in every second inning," he said. (5:35)

The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that various factors contribute to a player's inability to score centuries consistently.

"How can that happen? Some things change. Your form goes up and down at times. The opening partnership is long at times, and then you get to bat in the 25th or 28th over. At times, you play on pitches where three or four wickets fall quickly. Sometimes the team is chasing only 250 and the openers do the entire job," Chopra explained.

Aakash Chopra acknowledged that India playing many ODIs at home till the 2027 World Cup could work in Virat Kohli's favor. However, the analyst added that although the 37-year-old might reach close to the milestone, achieving it might not be as straightforward as the fans believe.