Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar: Records Kohli Has Broken and the Ones He May Never Reach

Virat Kohli added another major milestone to his career by breaking one of Sachin Tendulkar’s iconic records during the ODI match against South Africa in Ranchi. Kohli smashed a brilliant 135 runs off 120 balls, hitting 11 fours and 7 sixes, guiding India to a 17-run victory. This century—his 52nd in ODIs—pushed him past several long-standing Sachin records once thought to be unbreakable. Yet, many of Tendulkar’s legendary achievements still remain well beyond Kohli’s reach.

Sachin vs Kohli: Where Does Virat Lead?

Most centuries in a single international format

Kohli now holds the record for most hundreds in one format—52 ODI centuries, surpassing Tendulkar’s previous best of 51 Test centuries.

Most ODI centuries

Kohli has already overtaken Tendulkar’s tally of 49 ODI hundreds. He is the only batsman in the world with 50+ ODI centuries.

Most ODI centuries while chasing

Kohli is unmatched as the “Chase Master,” scoring 28 ODI centuries in run chases. Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar are tied for second with 17 each, while Chris Gayle has 12.

Most 50+ scores while chasing in ODIs

Kohli leads with 70 50+ scores in run chases. Tendulkar follows with 69, Rohit Sharma is third with 55, and Jacques Kallis has 50.

Most runs in successful ODI chases

Kohli tops the list with 6,072 runs in successful chases. Tendulkar follows with 5,490, Rohit with 4,701, and Ricky Ponting with 4,186.

Most 50+ scores in home ODIs

Kohli surpassed Tendulkar by recording his 59th 50+ score in ODIs played in India. Tendulkar had 58, while Jacques Kallis is third with 46 in South Africa.

Sachin’s Records Kohli May Never Break

Despite Kohli’s extraordinary accomplishments, certain Tendulkar records remain untouchable:

100 International Centuries

Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 international centuries is widely regarded as unbeatable. Kohli currently has 79, and given the slowdown in his scoring rate, this landmark appears out of reach.

Most International Runs (34,357)

Tendulkar amassed 34,357 international runs, a colossal figure. Kohli has not yet reached 28,000, making this record highly unlikely to be broken.

Most ODI Runs (18,426)

Sachin’s 18,426 ODI runs remain unmatched. Kohli stands at 14,390, and with fewer ODIs ahead, surpassing Sachin seems improbable.

Sachin’s Test Records Out of Reach

• 51 Test centuries (Kohli has only 30 and has retired from Tests)

• 15,921 Test runs, the highest ever (Kohli has 9,230)

However, Sachin’s record for the most Test runs (15,921 runs) may soon be challenged—not by Kohli but by England’s Joe Root, who has already crossed 13,551 runs and continues to play.