Former Indian middle-order batter Ajinkya Rahane, who recently announced his retirement from all forms of the game, has asserted that the Indian talismanic batter Virat Kohli will consider achieving the record of 100 international centuries.
Notably, legendary former Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar is the lone batter to have managed to achieve 100 international centuries to date. Speaking to Cricbuzz after the first ODI against the West Indies, Rahane reckoned that Kohli is the only batter who can equal the record.
“I think when Virat Kohli puts pressure on himself, that is when he is at his best. In every innings, he has done that. He has those expectations of himself. That is why he has been able to do it consistently for so many years. Knowing Virat, if he thinks about 100 centuries, there is nothing wrong with it, because his role model has been Sachin Tendulkar. So, I am sure he must be thinking about it. If he thinks about it, only Virat Kohli can achieve that,” Ajinkya Rahane said on Cricbuzz.
“Many times we think that if a player is thinking about milestones, that means he is selfish. But when Virat Kohli puts pressure on himself, that is when he does well. So, I am sure he will have a number on his mind, but at the same time, he will also have the thought that he has to enjoy the game as long as he is playing,” he added.
After his 88-ball 139-run unbeaten knock in the first ODI against the West Indies, Kohli revealed that he has never really thought about milestones. Notably, Kohli became only the second batter after Sachin to reach 15000-run milestone in ODIs.
“My focus has never really been on these milestones, so to say. It’s just understanding the situation along the course of just doing the job for the team, whatever. Achievements come along. Obviously, I feel very grateful and very blessed to be in this position, having played for so long,” Virat Kohli said during the post-match presentation.
