'Virat Kohli doesn't really care about breaking records any more, it's about winning matches for India': Robin Uthappa

Ever since Virat Kohli started to emerge as the star of the Indian batting line-up, he was seen to be primed to surpass the records set by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar. But the former India captain hit a career-low after his pinnacle in 2015-16. Although he seems to have put that to the past given his power-packed performances starting late last year, there are now doubts as to if he will be able to cross Tendulkar. However, former Indian batter Robin Uthappa opines that it is hardly of any concern to Kohli. “Virat doesn’t really care about breaking records any more. We as people and fans are obsessed with it. He would much rather win matches for India irrespective of those hundreds. Virat’s focus will be on winning matches for India in the Asia Cup and World Cup. He doesn’t really care about the records,” Uthappa said during a media interaction on Jio Cinema. Tendulkar, in an illustrious career spanning 24 years played 463 ODIs; In 452 innings he scored 18,426 runs at an average of 44.8 and a strike rate of 86.2. Against this, Kohli has played 275 ODIs, so far; In 265 innings he has gathered 12,898 runs at an average of 57.3 and a strike rate of 93.6. In Tests, Tendulkar made 200 appearances and in 329 innings he gathered 15,921 runs at an average of 53.8, while Kohli has so far played 100 games and 187 innings and has 8,676 runs to his name at an average of 49.3. Meanwhile, Kohli is second on the list of the number of international centuries with 76 tons, following Tendulkar’s 100. Kohli’s international performance ebbed in the last few years. However, since the second half of 2022, he has managed to get hold of his form again — a great example of which was his stellar knock of 82* off 53 against Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup, which stole an almost-lost match. The Asia Cup gets underway on 30 August, with the final on 17 September. The tournament acts as a build-up towards the ODI World Cup, which begins on 5 October.