With 100 international centuries – 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs – Tendulkar is the most prolific run-scorer in the sport’s history. However, his successor in the Indian team, Kohli, is just 30 centuries away from the mark, having scored 43 ODI centuries and 27 Test tons so far in his career.

[breakout id=”0″][/breakout]

Kohli, 31, is still at his peak, and Lee, the former Australia pacer who had several thrilling battles with Tendulkar back in their day, believes the Indian captain is capable of toppling that record.

“We are talking about phenomenal numbers here, so you mentioned seven to eight years of cricket and at the rate he (Virat Kohli ) is going, yes, he can definitely knock it off,” said Lee, speaking on Star Sports Cricket Connected.

Lee said three things matter in a batsman – talent, fitness and mental strength, and he said Kohli had it all. “It comes down to three things,” he said. “There is one thing I would like to eliminate – so, you talk about talent as a batsman, he’s definitely got that talent, eliminate that first and foremost.

“Then fitness – Virat Kohli has got that fitness, so for me it is all about fitness at the age of 30, and also that mental strength, the mental capacity to get through those hard times, being away from home, from his wife, or when they will have children. He will do it easily with his talent. It comes down to his mental strength and if he stays fit enough, and I believe he has got all those three components to go past Sachin.”

[breakout id=”1”][/breakout]

However, he did add a rider. “But, how can you say someone can go past Sachin Tendulkar? This is god here, can someone go better than god? We will wait and see.”