Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar doubts Virat Kohli can reach 100 international centuries before the 2027 ODI World Cup, citing limited matches. Cheteshwar Pujara also discusses India’s all-rounder options and the revival of ODI cricket through multi-nation tournaments.
Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has expressed doubts over Virat Kohli‘s chances of reaching 100 international centuries before the 2027 ODI World Cup, citing a possible shortage of matches in the remaining period. Although Nayar wants the Indian batting star to achieve the historic milestone, he believes the available opportunities could make the target difficult.
Nayar shared his views during a discussion with former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara, where they also examined India’s search for additional all-rounders in ODI cricket and the need to revive the popularity of the 50-over format through multi-nation tournaments.
Kohli currently holds the record for the most centuries in men’s ODI cricket, with 55 hundreds. He surpassed the previous record of 49 ODI centuries held by legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli created history during the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final against New Zealand at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, becoming the first batter to score 50 centuries in the format.
However, Nayar believes reaching the overall milestone of 100 international centuries before the next World Cup could be challenging.
“I don’t think there are enough games for him to reach that milestone. As much as I want him to, there have to be sufficient games for you to scale also,” Nayar said during the discussion on JioStar.
He added that Kohli might continue playing international cricket after the 2027 World Cup, but his motivation and circumstances could change following the tournament. Considering only the period leading up to the World Cup, Nayar does not believe there is sufficient time for Kohli to reach the landmark.
The discussion also focused on India’s future ODI team combination, particularly the need to develop another seam-bowling all-rounder alongside Hardik Pandya.
Nayar suggested that India should identify and groom another all-round option to strengthen the team’s balance, especially for challenging overseas conditions in countries such as New Zealand and South Africa.
According to him, having two seam-bowling all-rounders alongside two specialist fast bowlers could provide India with greater depth in both batting and bowling. He also pointed out that head coach Gautam Gambhir prefers teams with strong batting resources, making the development of additional all-rounders particularly important.
Nayar further highlighted the importance of bringing back tri-nation and quadrangular tournaments to revive interest in ODI cricket. He said multi-team competitions create a different atmosphere because teams compete for a trophy, making every match important.
Recalling the memorable moments from Sharjah, Nayar referred to Sachin Tendulkar’s historic performance against Australia, saying such matches create lasting memories among cricket fans. He believes multi-nation tournaments can increase fan engagement while helping teams prepare for major international competitions.
Meanwhile, Pujara also supported India’s efforts to develop a reliable backup for Hardik Pandya, identifying young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy as a potential option.
Pujara said Hardik remains India’s first-choice player whenever fully fit, but the team cannot depend entirely on one individual because of his fitness concerns and inability to remain available throughout the year.
“When Hardik is fit, obviously he will be part of the playing XI. But you can’t rely on just one player because he has some fitness concerns and isn’t fit throughout the year. So, you need a like-for-like replacement,” Pujara said.
He added that grooming Nitish Kumar Reddy would provide India with a dependable alternative and help maintain team balance when Hardik is unavailable.
Pujara also backed the revival of tri-nation and quadrangular ODI series, arguing that such competitions would expose teams to different opponents and require more comprehensive preparation.
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He said playing against three or four nations would allow fans to watch more international players and create greater competition. According to Pujara, increasing the number of teams and players involved could help attract audiences back to the 50-over format.
The views expressed by Nayar and Pujara highlight three important challenges for Indian cricket: Kohli’s pursuit of 100 international centuries, the development of reliable all-rounders beyond Hardik Pandya, and efforts to restore ODI cricket’s appeal through competitive multi-nation tournaments.
