Virat Kohli may now hold the record for most ODI hundreds, but former India head coach Ravi Shastri firmly believed that the 35-year-old is well on his way to breaking another big landmark — Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 international hundreds.
Speaking in the ICC Review, Shastri feels that ruling out Virat Kohli’s chances of equaling Sachin Tendulkar’s elusive record is still within reach.
Looking at Sachin Tendulkar’s figure of 100 centuries, a number many believed would never be matched, Ravi Shastri believes it would be foolish to rule Kohli out of matching his countryman.
“Who would have thought when Sachin Tendulkar got 100 hundreds that anyone would come close and he has 80, 80 international hundreds, 50 of them in the one-day game and that makes him the highest. Unreal,” said Ravi Shastri during The ICC Review.
“Nothing is impossible because such players, when they start swinging hundreds, then they earn them quite quickly. His next 10 innings, you might see another five hundreds.
“You have three formats of the game and he is part of all those formats.
“To think he still has three or four years of cricket ahead of him is just humbling.”
Ravi Shastri was also in awe of Virat Kohli’s ability to soak in the pressure.
Strict in his diet, and working through a regimented cardio and fitness programme, Kohli’s preparation means he can extract runs with his legs, rather than just dealing with boundaries, according to Ravi Shastri.
“One of the features of his batting was his running between the wickets. The fact that he doesn’t have to hit boundaries and sixes, he can run hard between the wickets because of his physical fitness,” said Shastri.
“That takes the pressure off him. Even when he doesn’t get the boundaries, he still rotates the strike.
“And he always has that amazing ability to make it to the back end of the inning.”
Shastri looked at a combination of mental changes, technical touch and emphasis on fitness in the big batsman’s careful preparation.
“It’s a mix of all three,” he noted.
“(It) gives him some time, to be calm and composed at the beginning of the inning.
“His shot selection in the first 10, 15 runs, he doesn’t take that extra risk. He’s quite willing to leave deliveries, hit the ball.”
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Updated: 16 Nov 2023, 14:53 IST