SACHIN TENDULKAR BREAKS DOWN SHREYAS LYER'S 'CATCH OF THE SEASON' TO DISMISS HARDIK PANDYA

 Sachin Tendulkar summed up Shreyas' acrobatic effort, saying that the PBKS captain got everything "spot on".

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer celebrates after relaying a stunning catch to dismiss Hardik Pandya. @BCCI

Legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar was right on the money as he explained Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer's flying attempt, which many described as the "Catch of the Season", to get rid of Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya. Shreyas was at his acrobatic best as he ran in from long-on to reverse-cup Hardik's mistimed pull before relaying it to Xavier Bartlett despite being airborne. The attempt stunned fans and experts alike, including Tendulkar, who described it as "one of the best catches i've ever seen".

The MI dugout had the best view of Shreyas' audacious attempt, especially Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, who were sitting just a few meters away from where the PBKS skipper landed after parrying the ball to the fielder charging in from long-off. In a viral video, Rohit and Surya were seen looking at each other with expressions of pure disbelief.

Taking to X, Tendulkar summed up Shreyas' acrobatic effort, saying that the PBKS captain got everything "spot on".

"What made Shreyas Iyer's catch so special was not just the athleticism, but the awareness behind it. He had to judge the speed of the ball, the height, where the boundary rope was, how close he was to stepping on it, and get his jump absolutely perfect," Tendulkar wrote on X.

The legendary batter noted the key to the catch wasn't just Shreyas' athleticism, but his head position, balance and awareness.

"Then, while still in the air, he caught the ball and released it to a teammate before landing, all the while knowing exactly where that fielder was positioned. To process all of that in a split second takes unbelievable awareness, timing, fitness, and composure.

"Shreyas Iyer got everything spot on. One of the best catches I've ever seen live!"

- Vedant Yadav

HOW CAN KOHLI CAN STILL BREAK SACHIN TENDULKAR'S 100-CENTURY RECORD AFTER T20I AND TEST RETIREMENT

• After his Test retirement, Virat Kohli is still in the race to break Sachin Tendulkar’s iconic record of 100 international centuries.

• With 82 international hundreds to his name, Kohli needs 18 more centuries to equal the Master Blaster’s iconic milestone.

Virat Kohli’s journey toward cricketing immortality isn’t over just yet. After bidding farewell to T20Is last year following India’s title win in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and recently announcing his retirement from Test cricket, Kohli now has just one international format left—ODIs. The big question on everyone’s mind: can he still break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 international centuries?

With 82 international hundreds to his name (51 in ODIs, 30 in Tests, and 1 in T20Is), Kohli needs 18 more centuries to equal the Master Blaster’s iconic milestone. But with ODIs being the only active format for him now, the road ahead is steep—and limited.

How can Virat Kohli reach 100 centuries? 

A realistic roadmap

As mentioned above, Kohli currently sits on 82 international centuries and in the current landscape where ODIs are played less frequently, Kohli’s task becomes even more challenging. With the rise of T20 leagues and a packed Test calendar, bilateral ODI series are becoming rarer. This reduces the number of opportunities he gets to bat and convert starts into big scores. As a result, every innings now carries more weight in his quest to reach the 100-century mark. Now let’s understand how this is possible, or at least not entirely impossible:

1. ODI format still suits his game

Kohli has always thrived in the 50-over format. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest ODI batters ever, with a ridiculous average of over 57.88. Even at 36, his ability to pace an innings, rotate strike, and finish games remains unmatched. His 51 ODI hundreds have come across 292 matches. That’s one century every 5.7 innings on average.

But in recent years, his frequency has improved. In 2023 alone, he scored 6 ODI tons, including three in the World Cup—proof that his hunger hasn’t declined. If he keeps scoring at the same strike rate, he could realistically notch 15–18 centuries in the next 3–4 years, provided he plays consistently.

2. The 2027 World Cup

If Kohli chooses to continue till the 2027 ODI World Cup, he’ll have at least 3 more full years in the format. India will play around 27 ODIs until then, and more could be added based on bilateral series, Asia Cups, and Champions Trophy-like tournaments. Assuming Kohli features in 25 out of those 27 ODIs, and plays 6–8 ODIs annually after that, fans may see him at 35–40 ODIs before retirement.

To get to 100 tons from 82, he needs 18 ODI centuries in 35–40 matches — a near impossible rate for most, but not entirely out of Kohli’s range if he has a purple patch.

3. Kohli and big tournaments – A love story

Kohli’s biggest strength is his ability to perform in ICC tournaments. With the World Cup 2027 on the calendar, India are set to play high-pressure games—exactly the kind where Kohli thrives. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, he smashed 3 centuries, and if he can continue that trend in ICC events, a handful of hundreds could come just from global tournaments.

4. Kohli’s fitness and mental resilience

Few athletes in world sport match Kohli’s fitness standards. At 36, he’s in better shape than many 28-year-olds, which means he can continue playing at peak levels for a few more years. Mentally, he’s shown time and again that he’s built for longevity and comebacks. With the burden of multi-format cricket now lifted, Kohli can focus entirely on one format, reduce burnout, and maximize output.

- Akshat Gaur

TOP 10 GREATEST CRICKET 🏏 PLAYERS OF ALL-TIME

 

INDIA'S KING KOHLI ADDS 54 TO RECORD FOR.MOST RUNS IN A SINGLE WORLD CUP IN FINAL AGAINST AUSTRALIA

AP Photo 

AHMEDEBAD, India (AP) — Indian batting star Virat Kohli extended his record run tally at a Cricket World Cup to 765 from 11 games on Sunday.

It is the most runs scored by a batter in a single World Cup, with Kohli bettering yet another Sachin Tendulkar record.

India great Tendulkar had scored 673 runs in 11 matches at the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

King Kohli, as he’s sometimes known, had already crossed that tally in the first semifinal against New Zealand in Mumbai, where India won by 70 runs.

'KING KOHLI' 50-OVERS GOAT DEBATE AT RUN-LADED WORLD CUP

Reuters 

Virat Kohli has long been on the cusp of batting greatness and at 35 years old he is making a solid case to be considered the greatest 50-overs player of all time after a run-laden World Cup campaign on home soil.

Sachin Tendulkar was the game's premier batsman until he retired in 2013, and Kohli has inherited that mantle from his compatriot, dominating the game for long stretches in the past decade.

Initially, Kohli was part of batting's "Fab Four" alongside England's Joe Root, Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand's Kane Williamson.

While others have faded somewhat recently, Kohli has been burning brightly, and pulling ahead of his peers.

From 2011 to 2019, Kohli scored more than 1,000 ODI runs a year seven times before going nearly three years without a hundred in international cricket.

The elegant right-hander ended that drought in September last year and has been at his prolific best at the current World Cup, where he is the runaway top-scorer with 711 runs from 10 matches including three centuries.

He overtook Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI hundreds in Mumbai on Wednesday and it was only fitting that his idol was present at the Wankhede Stadium to see it.

INDIA CRICKET LEGEND SACHIN TENDULKAR IN HOSPITAL WITH COVID-19

 

India Cricket Legend Sachin "Master Blaster" Tendulkar rushed to hospital after suffering from Covid-19 for a week. 

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CRICKET: CAPTAIN WA ZAMANI WA PAKISTAN HANIF MOHAMMAD AMEFARIKI DUNIA

Hanif Mohammad amefariki akiwa Karachi kutokana na matatizo ya kifua...Captain huyo wa timu ya taifa ya Cricket ya Pakistan amefariki akiwa na miaka 81...Jina lake maarufu sana lilikuwa 'Little Master' na huyo ndio original 'little master'...Amefariki akiwa na rekodi yake ya test innings ndefu kulizo zote ya masaa 16...Bofya hapa upate habari zaidi.