Virat Kohli's Stunning Form Continues With Six Straight Fifty-Plus Scores
Virat Kohli is currently in breathtaking form for the Indian cricket team. The modern-day batting legend has scored fifty or more runs in his last six international matches. This impressive streak includes two consecutive centuries against South Africa at home.
Kohli now plays only One-Day Internationals for India. Despite this limited format selection, his dominance remains unquestionable. His recent performances show no signs of slowing down.
Kohli Nears Tendulkar's Century Record
Those two centuries against South Africa brought Kohli's international century tally to 84. He now stands just 16 centuries away from Sachin Tendulkar's world record of 100 international hundreds.
On Sunday, Kohli came agonizingly close to another century. He scored 93 runs against New Zealand during the first ODI in Vadodara. Many spectators believed he would reach his 85th international hundred, but he fell short by just seven runs.
This innings marked Kohli's eighth score in the nineties in ODI cricket. His 93 off 91 balls helped India successfully chase another 300-plus target. In fact, this victory represented a record 20th time that India has chased down a 300-plus target in ODIs.
The Fascinating 'What If' Scenario
Cricket fans immediately began speculating after Kohli's latest near-miss. What if he had converted all those scores in the nineties? How close would he be to Tendulkar's monumental record of 100 international centuries?
Kohli stands as the most prolific run-scorer in international cricket after Tendulkar. He ranks second on the all-time list of international runs. Tendulkar leads with 34,357 runs, while Kohli has accumulated 28,068 runs so far.
If we examine Kohli's 'nervous nineties' across all formats, the numbers become particularly interesting. He has eight such scores in ODIs, two in Tests, and two in T20 Internationals. This brings his total to 12 scores in the nineties.
Kohli's Test cricket record shows remarkable conversion rate. He has played 123 Tests and scored 30 centuries, but has been dismissed in the nineties only twice. These occurred in Johannesburg against South Africa in 2013 (96 runs) and in Nottingham against England in 2018 (97 runs).
His two T20I nineties came before he scored his only T20I century. Kohli made 90 not out against Australia in Adelaide in 2016 and 94 not out against West Indies in Hyderabad in 2019. His 122 not out against Afghanistan in Dubai in 2022 placed him among elite batters with centuries in all three formats.
The Numbers Game: Adding Those Near-Misses
If we hypothetically add those 12 nineties to Kohli's century count, his total would rise to a staggering 96 international hundreds. This fascinating 'what if' scenario still leaves him four centuries short of Tendulkar's record.
This exercise provides entertaining speculation about Kohli's potential century tally. However, we must remember that the record he chases belongs to the batter with the most nineties in international cricket history.
Sachin Tendulkar himself recorded a remarkable 28 scores in the nineties across formats. He leads the ODI list with 18 such dismissals - ten more than Kohli. Tendulkar also shares the Test record with ten scores in the nineties, matching Steve Waugh and Rahul Dravid.
Tendulkar's Own 'What If' Scenario
If we apply the same hypothetical formula to Tendulkar's career, the numbers become even more astonishing. Adding his 28 nineties to his century count would give him 128 international hundreds.
Cricket statistics should not include 'what ifs' as official records. Yet examining these near-misses offers fascinating insight into legendary careers. It allows fans to appreciate how close these batting giants came to even greater achievements.
Cricket enthusiasts will continue this numerical curiosity for years to come. The sport thrives on statistics, and this fascination forms part of cricket's enduring appeal. As Kohli continues his remarkable career, every innings adds to this ongoing statistical conversation.
