'Never thought I'd score so many hundreds', says Kohli as he nears Tendulkar's World record

Virat Kohli is on the verge of achieving a feat that few believed possible just a few years ago – equalling Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most ODI centuries. With 48 centuries to his name, Kohli is just one short of matching the legendary Tendulkar. Despite being in the middle of a century controversy, Kohli firmly maintains that he never played for milestones. In fact, if anything, he expresses gratitude for the longevity of his career and states that amassing 78 international centuries and over 26,000 runs were never part of his initial aspirations.

"If we talk about cricket, I had never thought of achieving all, as in where my career is and how god has blessed me such a career span and performances. I had always dreamt I'd do this, but I had never thought thing would pan out this way exactly, nobody can plan these things, the way your journey is going, and the way things unfold in front of you. I hadn't thought that I'd score so many hundreds and so many runs in these 12 years," Kohli said in a conversation with Star Sports.

After going three years without a century, Kohli has racked up eight hundreds since September of last year – five in ODIs, one in T20Is and two in Tests. With 354 runs in 6 innings, Kohli is India's second-highest run-scorer at the 2023 World Cup behind Rohit Sharma, and sixth overall. Before being dismissed for a duck against England, Kohli recorded his 48th ODI hundred against Bangladesh, but missed out on a record-equalling 49th when he was dismissed for 95 against New Zealand in Dharamsala. However, in both these innings, a distinct pattern emerged in Kohli's batting – he denied singles to ensure he got to the three figure-mark. Kohli's approach received mixed reactions. While India won both games, the fact that Kohli and the Indian team were eager to give him those centuries was a unique sight to say the least.

However, Kohli's journey to the pinnacle of cricket excellence was far from easy. The former India captain openly admitted that, despite his inherent talent, his sporadic lack of professionalism posed a barrier between him and greatness during the early stages of his career. It was in 2012 that Kohli decided to make a significant transformation, forsaking his casual lifestyle for a complete 360-degree change. He revamped his diet, fitness regimen, and level of commitment to the game. Now, nine years later, Kohli stands as the GOAT, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"My only focus was that I should perform well for the team, and win games for the team from difficult situations. For that I mad quite a few changes along the way regarding discipline and lifestyle. I always had the drive in me, but I lacked the professionalism. Now I have a single-minded focus on how I want to play the game, and after that the results I've achieved is from playing that way itself," Kohli said.

"The game recognises effort. Honestly that's what I have learnt from my career. I've played cricket by giving my hundred percent on the field, and the blessings I have got from it have been given to me by god, and I had never thought things would have unfolded this way."