Comparisons between India’s batting sensation Virat Kohli and legendary Sachin Tendulkar are not new. The talks have been going around for a while now. After the start of his career, Kohli didn’t take long to showcase his exceptional talent and was soon termed the next Tendulkar.
In the recent ODI game against Sri Lanka in Guwahati, Kohli smashed a brilliant ton to equal Sachin’s record of most hundreds at home in the 50-over format. The 34-year-old had ended 2022 with a hundred against Bangladesh and started this year with a match-winning 113 runs off 87 balls against the Islanders.
It was Kohli’s 45th ODI ton, and he’s now just four centuries away from Tendulkar (49). However, in Test cricket, the Delhi lad has 27 centuries compared to Master Blaster’s 51.
Post Kohli’s fantastic inning of unbeaten 113, former BCCI President Sourav Ganguly was asked who’s a better player between Virat and Sachin. Praising Kohli, Dada told PTI: “It’s a difficult question to answer. Kohli is a fantastic player. He’s played many such innings, 45 hundreds don’t happen like this. He’s a special talent. There will be periods when he will not score, but he’s a special player.”
Apart from Ganguly, veteran Indian opener Gautam Gambhir also spoke on the comparison. Commenting on Kohli’s 45th ODI century, the former southpaw cricketer said that comparing two eras is unfair as the rules have also changed from what they were in Sachin’s time.
“It’s not about the record, honestly. Virat Kohli will go on to get many more centuries than Sachin Tendulkar in the 50-overs format. See, the rules have changed,” Gambhir said on the Star Sports’ cricket show.
“You should not compare eras. It’s not fair to compare eras as well where there was one new ball as compared to now when there are 2 new balls with five fielders inside. But yes, he has been a master in this format and he has shown it over such a long period of time,” Gambhir added.
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