India’s Virat Kohli celebrates his century during the 1st ODI against West Indies. (ANI Photo)
With Kohli now playing only ODI cricket for India, he has roughly 30 matches remaining to score another 14 centuries and reach 100 international hundreds. Rahane believes the former India captain’s ability to put pressure on himself could help him chase down the elusive three-figure mark While Kohli has made it clear that personal milestones are not what drive him.
Only Sachin Tendulkar has previously achieved the landmark.
That is why he has been able to do it consistently for so many years,” Rahane said on Cricbuzz. “I think when Virat Kohli puts pressure on himself, that is when he is at his best. In every innings, he has done that. He has those expectations of himself.
So, I am sure he will have a number on his mind, but at the same time, he will also have the thought that he has to enjoy the game as long as he is playing,” said Rahane. Rahane also rejected the idea that a batter thinking about a statistical milestone necessarily means he is putting individual achievement ahead of the team. “Many times, we think that if a player is thinking about milestones, that means he is selfish. But when Virat Kohli puts pressure on himself, that is when he does well.