Chopra's Bold Call: Kohli to Finish on 98

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has made a big prediction about Virat Kohli's pursuit of cricketing immortality, forecasting that the modern-day batting great will fall just short of Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 international centuries.

In a video posted by Cricinfo on X, Chopra was asked how many centuries Kohli would have by the time he retires. His answer was blunt and specific: 98.

Kohli, who now features only in One Day Internationals, currently sits on 86 international centuries. He needs 15 more to surpass Tendulkar's landmark, a target that would demand both longevity and consistency in a format he plays far less frequently than he once did.

The Milestone in Numbers

Tendulkar's record has stood unchallenged since his retirement, forged across a remarkable career spanning 1989 to 2013. He played 664 international matches across formats and compiled 100 centuries — including 51 in 200 Tests and 49 in 463 ODIs.

Kohli's tally is distributed differently. He has scored 55 centuries in ODIs, 30 in Tests and one in T20Is, reflecting the shifting priorities of a career in which he has stepped away from the shortest format internationally.

The scale of the challenge was underscored in earlier reporting on September 30, when former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin weighed in on the debate, noting that Kohli had 86 international hundreds and needed 14 more to match the record Tendulkar set 14 years ago. At that time, Ashwin pointed to India's expected schedule of roughly 30 more ODIs — including the next World Cup in South Africa — as the window in which Kohli could close the gap. Ashwin also sided with Tendulkar over Kohli when asked to choose between the two, arguing that reaching 100 international centuries would be the achievement that settled the argument.

Arshdeep Singh Backed as India's Best White-Ball Seamer After Bumrah

Chopra's assessment did not stop at Kohli. Asked to name India's best white-ball fast bowler apart from Jasprit Bumrah, he picked Arshdeep Singh.

Arshdeep is India's leading wicket-taker in T20Is, with 140 wickets from 94 matches. His ODI record, however, remains limited — he has played only 18 ODIs since making his debut against New Zealand in November 2022, and he is not currently a guaranteed pick in India's ODI team for the 2027 World Cup.

"What Happens if Hardik is Unfit?"

Turning to India's ODI blueprint, Chopra identified two areas of concern and distilled the biggest question mark into a single worry about all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

"What happens if Hardik is unfit?"

Hardik remains an important part of India's white-ball teams, but he has not played competitive cricket since the end of IPL 2026. His last appearance for India came against New Zealand in the final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 on March 8 in Ahmedabad.

West Indies Series on the Line

The discussion comes as India prepare to face West Indies in the third and final ODI of their ongoing series at the New Chandigarh Stadium on Saturday. India have already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, a position that gives the team room to experiment — and adds weight to the questions Chopra raised about the balance and depth of the ODI side moving forward.