There’s one question that has gripped world cricket again: Can Virat Kohli actually reach 100 international centuries? Before answering that, let’s look at the only thing that truly matters - how many ODIs does he realistically have left?
Between now and the 2027 World Cup, India’s ODI calendar is surprisingly packed.
In January 2026, India host New Zealand for a 3-match ODI series.
A few months later, in June, Afghanistan arrive for another 3.
Team India is then scheduled to play 3 ODIs in England a month after that.
They then fly back to play 3 more one-day matches against the West Indies in September.
That will be immediately followed by 3 ODIs against Bangladesh, which were rescheduled from 2025.
A 3-match New Zealand tour follows in October, and December brings a home battle against Sri Lanka in as many ODIs.
Before the 2027 World Cup, the Asia Cup will unfold in September 2027, and if India reach the final, that’s six more ODIs.
Then arrives the big stage itself: the 2027 ODI World Cup, where India could play up to 11 matches if they go all the way.
Add it all up, and Virat Kohli has 47 ODIs in front of him. And he needs 16 more hundreds.
On paper, that sounds absurd. Many great players don’t score 16 ODI centuries in their entire careers, and here we are, even discussing whether someone can do it in just 47 games. But that’s exactly the thing. The debate exists only because the player in question is Virat Kohli. And here’s the part everyone is ignoring: The gaps between Kohli’s centuries are shrinking ever since the 2023 ODI World Cup.
His 51st ODI hundred came after 466 days, on 23rd February 2025.
The 52nd arrived after 280 days, on 30th November.
Then, as if cricket wanted to remind the world who he is, he smashed his 53rd just 4 days later, on 3rd December.
The pattern is unmistakable. The rhythm is returning. The aura is tightening. Kohli is peaking again. And the vibes? They’re unmistakably 2016.
Yes, 16 centuries in 47 innings wouldn’t just be a record - it would be a sporting miracle. But if there’s one man in this era who has made a career out of bending logic, breaking probability, and making greatness feel routine, it’s Virat Kohli.
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