Asia Cup 2023: Virat Kohli on cusp on breaking massive MS Dhoni & Sachin Tendulkar record

The Indian cricket team is all set to travel to Sri Lanka ahead of their opening Asia Cup 2023 match against Pakistan on September 2, 2023. The Indian team had a disappointing campaign in the Asia Cup 2022 and was knocked out of the tournament after losing to Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the Super 4 stage. Team India, who are the current champions of the 50 over Asia Cup, last held in 2018, will once again hope to win their ninth Asian title ahead of the ODI World Cup. 

3 things you need to know  

• The Asia Cup 2023 is being co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka under the 'hybrid model' 
• Team India will play all its matches in Sri Lanka 
• The Asia Cup 2023 is an excellent chance for the Indian team to test its resources ahead of the ODI World Cup  

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Virat Kohli to break MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar's record in Asia Cup 2023?

(Indian cricket team batter celebrates after his 71st international century against Afghanistan in Asia Cup 2022 / Image: AP) 

The Indian cricket team will be playing with their full-strength squad after a span of almost 11 months. Team India batter Virat Kohli has also regained his lost touch and is on the verge of breaking three major records in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. This includes the records of Indian greats like MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar. 

Virat Kohli just needs 102 more runs to complete 13000 ODI runs whereas he is just 35 runs away from becoming the third-highest Indian run-scorer in the multination Asian tournament. Virat Kohli will surpass MS Dhoni, who is currently the third-highest Indian run scorer in the Asia Cup with 648 runs. 

However, if the former Indian team skipper is able to hit three hundreds in the upcoming Asia Cup, he can also very easily become India's highest run scorer of the tournament and surpass veteran Sachin Tendulkar (971). 

Virat Kohli will be playing an ODI Asia Cup for the first time since 2014, but the former Indian skipper has already hit three centuries in 10 innings. However, the number increased to four after his hundred against Afghanistan in the T20 Asia Cup last year.

Former Sri Lanka opener Sanath Jayasuriya (6) has scored the most hundreds in the Asia Cup. If Virat Kohli is able to score three more tons, he will surpass Jayasuriya and will have the most hundreds in the multination Asian tournament. 

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Virat Kohli ends 71st international century drought in Asia Cup 2022 

Virat Kohli has ruled world cricket for over a decade and has scored runs in every corner of the world. However, there was a period when the centuries almost dried up from Kohli's bat and he didn't score a ton for almost three years. Though, Kohli ended the nation's wait for his 71st international hundred against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup 2022. Virat Kohli played an unbeaten knock of 122 runs off 61 balls which consisted of 12 fours and six sixes. Since then, Kohli has scored a total of five hundreds in international cricket in the last 11 months and also had a stellar season in IPL 2023.