‘If he thinks of 100 centuries’: Ajinkya Rahane reveals if Virat Kohli can reach the milestone

India’s Virat Kohli celebrates his century during the 1st ODI against West Indies. (NOT a photo) Virat Kohli’s latest ODI masterclass has once again raised the prospect of him reaching 100 international centuries, with former India teammate Ajinkya Rahane backing the veteran to reach the milestone if he chooses to do so.Kohli produced a stunning unbeaten 139 off 88 balls in the first ODI against West Indies, guiding India to an eight-wicket victory while chasing 296 off 50 balls. The 37-year-old hit nine sixes on his way to his 55th ODI century and 86th international hundred, the most he has hit in a single innings in his career.While Kohli has made it clear that personal milestones are not what drives him, Rahane believes that the former India captain’s ability to put pressure on himself could help him chase down the elusive three-figure mark.“I think when Virat Kohli puts pressure on himself, that’s when he’s at his best. He’s done that in every innings. He has such expectations on himself. That’s why he’s been able to do it consistently for so many years,” Rahane said on Cricbuzz.Kohli’s attacking approach has also become increasingly evident since his retirement from Test cricket. The batsman has shown a greater willingness to take risks at the start of his innings rather than spend extended periods settling down.Before 2025, Kohli’s strike rate in the first 10 balls of his innings was just over 72. This number has now climbed over 100. The first signs of change were visible during the series against South Africa and since then he has continued to take a more aggressive approach.Kohli now only plays ODI cricket for India and is roughly 30 matches away from scoring another 14 centuries and reaching 100 international hundreds. Only Sachin Tendulkar had previously achieved the milestone.Rahane feels there is no reason for Kohli to shy away from thinking about the target, especially given Tendulkar’s influence on his career.“Knowing Virat, if he thinks about 100 centuries, there’s nothing wrong with that because his role model was Sachin Tendulkar. So I’m sure he must think about it. If he thinks about it, only Virat Kohli can achieve it,” he added.Rahane also dismissed the idea that thinking about a statistical milestone necessarily means putting individual success ahead of the team.“A lot of times we think that when a player thinks about milestones, it means that he is selfish. But when Virat Kohli puts pressure on himself, he does well. So I am sure he will have some number in mind but at the same time he will think that he has to enjoy the game while he is playing,” Rahane said.