The race for cricketing immortality has reached a fever pitch in the ongoing 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Modern-day legend Virat Kohli is now within touching distance of surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record for the most centuries in List A history.
Following a vintage performance in Delhi’s opening fixture on December 24, where Kohli smashed a match-winning 131 against Andhra, the gap between the “Master Blaster” and the “King” has narrowed to just two tons.
The record for most centuries in List A cricket – which includes One Day Internationals (ODIs) and domestic 50-over matches – has been held by Sachin Tendulkar for over a decade.
Most centuries in List A cricket
Sachin Tendulkar – 60 centuries
Virat Kohli – 58 centuries
Graham Gooch – 44 centuries
Graeme Hick – 40 centuries
Kumar Sangakkara – 39 centuries
With 58 centuries to his name, Kohli needs just two more to equal and three more to break the record.
What makes Kohli’s pursuit even more remarkable is the efficiency of his scoring; he has reached his current tally in over 200 fewer innings than Tendulkar.
Surpassing Sachin in Style
During his record-breaking 131-run knock in Bengaluru, Kohli didn’t just chase the century record. He also became the fastest player in history to reach 16,000 List A runs, achieving the feat in just 330 innings – shattering Tendulkar’s previous world record of 391 innings.
The Road Ahead
While Kohli missed out on another century today, scoring a fluent 77 against Gujarat in Vijay Hazare Trophy before being stumped, he remains in peak physical and technical form.
With several group-stage matches and potential knockouts remaining in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, fans are hopeful that the 37-year-old will claim the top spot before the tournament ends. For Kohli, who already surpassed Sachin’s record for the most ODI centuries (50) during the 2023 World Cup, claiming the overall List A crown would be the final jewel in his white-ball crown.
