India’s legendary batsman, Mohammad Azharuddin has turned down any comparisons between India’s skipper Virat Kohli and batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Advertisement
Azharuddin argued that it was pointless to compare two different players from two different eras, but tipped that Kohli will break the batting records set by the great Sachin Tendulkar.
Azharuddin spoke at an event in Bhopal: “Virat is a special player but comparing one player to another is difficult. When Sachin Tendulkar played, bowling attacks and conditions were different.”
“Before that, Sunil Gavaskar faced a different set of challenges. If Kohli keeps at it, stays fit and remains consistent, then any record can be broken. But it is still a long way to go for Kohli.”
ALSO READ : James Anderson joins the cricketing elite with 500 test wickets
The stylish batsman from Hyderabad continued, “You just cannot compare the two. Kohli is a special player and Tendulkar was a special player. Sachin set many records and Kohli might one day overtake them.”
“Nothing is impossible but you have to be consistent. Kohli is young now but reflexes slow down with age. But he has a different kind of fitness level.”
Virat Kohli brought up his 29th and 30th ODI centuries in the fourth and fifth ODIs against Sri Lanka, as he drew level with Ricky Ponting as the 2nd-most century maker in ODIs.
Only the great Sachin Tendulkar now has more ODI tons than the 28-year-old Indian skipper.
Virat Kohli is acknowledged world-wide as one of the greatest batters in the 2nd innings of the game, as he has scored 19 ODI centuries from only 110 games. On the other hand, Tendulkar has only managed 17 centuries in the 2nd innings of an ODI game from 236 matches.
Even though, the pitches and heavy bats have turned the game into a batsman-dominated game in this era, Kohli’s records in world cricket at the moment are staggering to say the least in any era.
And the best part about it is, they are yet to increase.
The 28-year-old Kohli has an average of 55.75, which is comfortably the best in the history of ODI cricket for players who have scored a minimum of 2000 ODI runs.
After the series with Sri Lanka, Kohli reached a record 887 rating points as the top ODI batsman in the world, which has equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s highest rating during his peak years.
Regardless of any statistics, it should be noted that both Kohli and Tendulkar are batting icons from the nation of India. While, on the part of the fans, the comparisons between the two will never stop.
