"Don't think Virat Kohli is playing for records" - Saba Karim after former Indian skipper's 45th ODI century
Former keeper-batter Saba Karim believes that star Indian batter Virat Kohli could soon break Sachin Tendulkar's record of hitting the most centuries in ODIs. The former Indian cricketer has 49 ODI hundreds under his belt.
He also stated that Tendulkar would be really pleased if that happens. Karim, however, added that Kohli isn't bothered about breaking records, and his complete focus is on winning this year's 50-over World Cup at home for Team India.
"Sachin Tendulkar would be the happiest if Virat Kohli broke his record of scoring the most ODI centuries," Karim said on India News Sports after the first ODI. "With the kind of form that he is in, I think he is going to break that record very soon.
"I don't think Kohli is playing for records at the moment. He aims to win the World Cup for Team India and is completely focused on that."
Notably, Kohli completed his 45th ODI ton on Tuesday, aggregating 113 runs off 87 balls in the series opener against Sri Lanka in Guwahati. He is now just five centuries away from breaking Tendulkar's record for scoring the most hundreds in the 50-over format.
For his stupendous knock of 113 off 87 deliveries, @imVkohli is adjudged Player of the Match as #TeamIndia beat Sri Lanka by 67 runs.
Scorecard - bit.ly/INDvSL-2023-1S… #INDvSL
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It is worth mentioning that with his knock against Sri Lanka, Kohli has now equalled Tendulkar's record of hitting 20 ODI centuries on Indian soil.
"A very big achievement" - Virat Kohli's childhood coach on his ward equalling Sachin Tendulkar's century record
During the aforementioned discussion, Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma mentioned that being compared to batting legend Sachin Tendulkar is in itself a massive accomplishment for the star Indian batter.
He expressed delight at Kohli matching Tendulkar's record of hitting 20 ODI centuries at home, and that too by taking 61 fewer innings. Sharma added:
"It is a very big achievement for Virat Kohli. Being compared to Sachin Tendulkar is also a big achievement for Kohli, as he has significantly contributed to the success of Indian cricket, serving the country for 24 years. It was wonderful to see Virat equalling Tendulkar's record, and that too in fewer innings."
Saba Karim further went on to say that Kohli would gain a lot of confidence from his stunning knock against Sri Lanka. He also pointed out that it is now clear that the right-handed batter is back to his best in ODIs.
"Virat Kohli has taken 61 fewer innings to equal Sachin Tendulkar's record of 20 ODI tons at home," he elaborated. "This shows what kind of a player he is. We can keep talking about his greatness. He once again proved that he has rediscovered his mojo in ODIs. This knock will benefit him a lot and give him confidence."
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Can Virat Kohli break Sachin Tendulkar’s record? 🤩👇🏻
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Kohli will next be seen in action on Thursday, January 12, when the Men in Blue take on Sri Lanka in the second ODI of their three-match series at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.