'Kohli doesn't care': IND's WC-winning star's blistering 'Asia Cup, World Cup' remark amid Sachin records looming
Virat Kohli's return to form last year has led to the renewal of speculation around whether he can break one or more of Sachin Tendulkar's biggest records.
The numbers that Sachin Tendulkar stacked up over the course of his illustrious 24-year career at the highest levels of the sport is considered by most as unreachable. The likes of Alastair Cook and now Joe Root have figured in conversations around batters who can reach Tendulkar's record of 15,921 runs or 51 centuries in Test cricket while veteran fast bowler James Anderson has been spoken of as a candidate to become the second player after the former India captain to reach 200 Test appearances.
However, there has been only one contender for his ridiculous ODI stats and even becoming the second player after Tendulkar to reach 100 international centuries - Virat Kohli. Kohli was even seen as primed to surpass Tendulkar's ODI figures when he was at his prolific best between 2015 and 2019. He then went through a rather crushing dry spell in which he didn't score an international century for over three years before seemingly getting on an upward curve again since halfway through last year.
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Kohli and Tendulkar were at different ends of their careers when they were part of the Indian team that won the 2011 World Cup. While he was the junior-most player in the team at the time, Kohli pretty much will have the stature that Tendulkar had in the dressing room in 2011 when he and the Indian team play the 2023 World Cup. While there are many keeping an eye on Kohli's stats, former India batter Robin Uthappa says that the 34-year-old himself won't be caring about them at all.
"Virat doesn't really care about breaking records anymore. We as people and fans are obsessed with it. He would much rather win matches for India irrespective of those hundreds. Virat's focus will be on winning matches for India in the Asia Cup and World Cup. He doesn't really care about the records," Uthappa said during a media interaction on Jio Cinema.
Only Tendulkar stands above Kohli's tally of 76 international centuries. In ODI cricket, Kohli has scored 12,898 runs in 275 matches with 46 centuries and 65 half centuries. He boasts a stunning average of 57.32 and an equally impressive strike rate of 93.62. Tendulkar, meanwhile ended his career on 18,426 runs in 463 matches with 49 centuries and 96 fifties. He had an average of 44.83 and strike rate of 86.23.
