Shoaib Akhtar suggests Virat Kohli might have to give up on T20Is to reach 100 centuries

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar suggested that if Virat Kohli wants to score 30 more centuries and bring up the 100th century, he might have to give up T20Is. Akhtar also said that Kohli could be the greatest player if he gets to that mark. Kohli, at the moment, has 70 international centuries and has not gone past a score of 100 since November 2019.

Kohli, in his last two innings, scored a well-made 35 off 34 against Pakistan and an unbeaten 59 off 44 against Hong Kong respectively, and is now the top scorer for India in Asia Cup 2022. Yet the former Pakistan speedster feels that Kohli has not been middling the ball lately, and called both his Asia Cups innings “patchy”.

“Virat Kohli hasn't been middling the ball really well,” Akhtar said on his official YouTube channel. “Both innings were quite patchy. He scored 59, I wish him best. Mera ye hi mashwara hoga Kohli ko ki dekh lo World Cup tak (My only suggestion to Kohli is to just wait till the T20 World Cup), if this format suits you or doesn't suit you, 30 centuries karni hain aur aage (you have to score 30 more centuries).”

I really want Virat Kohli to break Sachin Tendulkar's record: Shoaib Akhtar

Akhtar said Kohli must convince himself that he is the greatest ever. He said that scoring the next 30 centuries would be the hardest for Kohli. He believes that he would have a better chance to do that in the longer formats. The 47-year-old went on to say that he wants the former India captain to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most international centuries.

“You have to convince yourself that you are the greatest ever. This is going to be the hardest 30 centuries -- if he scores. When he goes to the longer formats, he will get time to settle. Here (T20I), he is trying but the time is less, you have to maintain a good strike-rate, you have to ensure the team wins. I really want him to score a 100 centuries and break Sachin Tendulkar's record. It looks impossible right now, but this man can do it,” Akhtar added.