Virat Kohli’s Stunning Run: 16 Tons in 18 Matches! WC 2027 Rampage Loading?

According to the current schedule, Team India will play only 18 ODI matches before the start of the 2027 ODI World Cup. As there are no ODIs lined up for 2025, both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will return to fifty-over cricket only in 2026. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli is enjoying one of the best phases of his career. In the recent series against South Africa, he smashed two centuries and a half-century, and his knock of 102 in Raipur helped him register his 84th international hundred. However, to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s legendary record of 100 international centuries, Kohli still needs 16 more hundreds. With very few matches left before the next World Cup, experts believe this milestone will be a tough challenge for him.

India’s ODI opportunities before 2027 appear extremely limited—just 18 ODIs, plus a minimum of 10 matches in the World Cup itself, giving Kohli roughly 28 innings in total. Analysts say that scoring 16 centuries within this restricted window is almost impossible statistically.

Team India’s 2026 ODI schedule includes: three matches against New Zealand in January, three against Afghanistan in June, three against England in July, three against the West Indies in September–October, another three against New Zealand in October–November, and three against Sri Lanka in December—making it a total of 18 ODIs.

Even though the opportunities are limited, fans remain eager to see how Kohli continues his century hunt, backed by his remarkable form, discipline, and unwavering determination.