In a cricket-crazy world from India, centuries aren’t just milestones. They’re monuments of fans. And when you look at the three biggest names in the indian cricket industry—Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, and Rohit Sharma—the century-count race becomes a saga of legacy, ambition, and national pride.
Sachin: The Grandfather of Hundreds
Long before the whirlwind of modern cricket began, Sachin Tendulkar had earned a place amongst the legends. He is the only cricketer in history to score over 100 international centuries – with 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs.
That 100-ton mark means more than personal achievement. It’s a measure of consistency, duration, and mastery over formats. Nobody, past or present, has produced that mark as standard, across Tests and ODIs. His first Test ton was at Old Trafford in 1990 and his last, 100th came in the Asia Cup in 2012, at Mirpur.
Sachin’s tons have defined generations – they are firmly implanted in the minds of every budding cricketer in India.
Virat: The Run-Machine Chasing Immortality
Jump to the present day and consider how Kohli has become the strongest challenge to Sachin’s legend. As of 2025, Kohli has scored 82 international centuries—30 in Tests, 51 in ODIs, and 1 in T20Is.
What’s even more interesting is that he is now also the leader on the ODI-hundreds leaderboard, having eclipsed Tendulkar’s record for the most ODI hundreds in the process.
But here’s the question–can he get to 100 centuries total? He is still 18 centuries short of Tendulkar’s tally.
What is particularly worth noting is Kohli’s desire. No matter what changes the format of cricket and regardless of how any bowlers evolve, he has kept up a relentless consistency in both Tests and ODIs. But the reason it is a chase is not simply based on digits matched, but rather what it means symbolically; could a contemporary legend surpass an imperial standard set by the Little Master?
Rohit: The Power-Hit Legend With Records All Around
Enter Rohit Sharma—stylish, explosive, and now a more consistent performer. He has scored 50 international centuries: 33 ODIs, 12 Tests, and 5 Twenty20 Internationals as of early 2025.
What makes Rohit special is his ability to record centuries under pressure. He holds the record for the highest individual ODI score of all time (264) and is one of the only players to have scored a double century in ODIs on more than one occasion.
He is also part of the select few players to have scored centuries in all formats—and in style. While he may not hold the centuries’ respectability in Tests compared to Tendulkar, and in ODIs compared to Kohli, his batting style, reliance, and explosiveness make the notion of a ‘century-race’ relevant.
The Unspoken Battle: Legacy vs Momentum
If you map their numbers side by side, an invisible rivalry emerges:
Player | Approximate International Centuries | Strength / Signature | Legacy Question |
Sachin Tendulkar | 100 | Undefeated icon across decades | Will anyone ever reach him? |
Virat Kohli | 82 | Modern consistency, formats mastery | Can he break 100? |
Rohit Sharma | 50 | Explosive power-hitting + longevity | Will he close the gap in Tests / ODIs? |
More than just the raw number, their hundreds have history… exhilarating tons to win matches, toiling in foreign conditions, chasing targets under lights, World Cups. Each new hundred is not simply a number — it is a headline, an inflection point, a moment of national heartbeat.
What’s Next in the Century Game?
- For Kohli, the goal is still within reach: to move toward, or beyond, Sachin’s 100 career centuries. Kohli is likely some 18 centuries away.
- For Rohit, the mission is simpler: more tons in Test cricket and consistency in ODIs as well.
- For cricket fans in Ghaziabad, Lucknow, or Kolkata, there is an endless cycle of fantasies to fuel with each new century by these heroes with bat in hand, cricketers displaying IPL frenzy, and the dreams for the future of a kid picking up a bat.
From that perspective, the century-count race is still ongoing. It’s progressed. It is personal, it’s mathematical – but most notably, it’s thrilling and exhilarating. And for as long as any of them stride out in the blue of India, we will be watching, hoping, and cheering every run that goes over and beyond three figures.
