Cannot compare Virat Kohli with Sachin Tendulkar, says Mohammad Azharuddin
What's the story?
Former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin has played down the comparisons between current captain Virat Kohli and batting stalwart Sachin Tendulkar. Upon pointing to the futility of comparing players belonging to different eras, the stylish Hyderabadi backed the in-form 28-year old to break Tendulkar's batting records.
Speaking at Mind Rocks 2017 in Bhopal, Azharuddin asserted, "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."
The elegant batsman added, "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."
The context
During the recently completed ODI series in Sri Lanka, Kohli smashed consecutive centuries in the fourth and fifth matches to draw level with Australian legend Ricky Ponting's tally of tons. Only Tendulkar, with 49 centuries to his name, has notched up more hundreds in the history of the 50-over format than the run machine from Delhi.
The heart of the matter
Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest ever batsman in run chases, Kohli has slammed 19 centuries from 110 matches while batting second in ODIs. In comparison, Tendulkar managed only 17 such tons from 236 games. Even though pitches have gotten more batting-friendly in recent times and modern-day bowlers have struggled to meet the high standards set by their more illustrious predecessors, Kohli's record in white-ball cricket appears staggering by any stretch of the imagination.
Among batsmen with at least 2000 ODI runs, Kohli's average of 55.75 is comfortably the best in the history of the 50-over format. With 887 rating points in ICC's ODI rankings, the ruthless right-hander has also matched Tendulkar's peak performance. Needless to say, the comparisons between the two batting icons have never ceased to abate.
What's next?
India take on Australia for a 5-match ODI series at home beginning at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on the 17th. One more century will see Kohli move past Ponting's tally of tons.
Author's take
Perhaps, the only blot in Kohli's career thus far is the absence of significant scores in the finals of multi-team ODI tournaments. Should he go on to rectify that in the upcoming ICC events, he could make a legitimate claim for becoming the best ever batsman in the 50-over format. If he continues his form in the coming years, Kohli should also be able to overhaul Tendulkar's tally of centuries.