5 reasons why it is unfair to compare Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli
After leading India to the U19 World Cup 2008 in Malaysia, Virat Kohli was considered as the next big thing in the Indian cricket circuit. But not many would have thought that he'd be dominating the world cricket within a decade. The current Indian skipper has worked hard on his game and fitness to become a modern day master. Infact, he has made a habit of breaking records for fun every time he steps on to the field. And naturally, he is being compared to the other greats of the game.
When you wish to find out how good something really is, you pick the absolute best as a reference. And in the cricketing world, there is no bigger name than Sachin Tendulkar. Looking at their record, one may suggest that Virat has an edge over the Little Master. But as they often say, stats may be misguiding at times. This doesn't mean that we should consider Kohli inferior to the great man, but the comparison should be avoided in the first place. Here are the reasons why.
#1 Sachin has already retired after playing for about 24 years and Kohli is still playing the game (10 years and counting)
Sachin Tendulkar had an extremely well-decorated career expanding over two decades. When the Little Master decided to hang his boots, he was arguably the best batsman to have ever played the game. And as one would imagine, his career had everything. Staggering numbers, some daunting lows, injuries and even some slight taste of controversies.
But if we look at it on the whole, it was almost perfect and nothing less than a dream. A debut at mere 16, bashing world renowned bowlers at will, being at the pinnacle of the rankings many times and winning the World Cup with many individual records as well.
On the contrary, Virat Kohli is still playing the game. Looking at his fitness, it is safe enough to say that he may have only reached the half way mark in terms of active years. He too has had a great journey until now. He is considered as the best batsman of his era. He also has had his share of failures and controversies. But he looks to be heading towards the right direction.
If he continues performing the same way, he might even surpass the Little Master in terms of records. But he still has a long way to go and as they say, anything is possible in our game.
A career can be fully examined only after it is over. So even if we wish to make a comparison between the two, it must only be done after Kohli's retirement. Till then, we can enjoy watching him showcase his ever-growing abilities.