Virat Kohli embarrassed by Sachin Tendulkar comparisons
Virat Kohli has been in sensational form this year, scoring runs in Australia, Bangladesh, and the Indian Premier League of which he is the Orange cap holder, having scored 752 runs in 12 innings in the IPL this season. The 27-year-old has been piling up the runs with a remarkable consistency for a number of years now. This sheer weight of runs has often drawn comparisons with Sachin Tendulkar, who is widely accepted to be the greatest batsman to have played the game. Tendulkar’s numbers are legendary, with 100 international centuries and the only cricketer to have 200 Test caps.
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Kohli, in an interview with India Today, said that he was inspired by the Master Blaster but he would like to have his own identity on the pitch. The RCB skipper said, “Honestly I feel embarrassed. It is unfair and Sachin can't be compared with anyone. Comparisons are not valid from my end. I have looked up to him but want to be myself and definitely draw inspiration from him. He is two levels above any player. Sachin was born with talent and I had to work for it,"
Kohli might be a symbol of the youth and their affinity for T20 cricket but he feels that Test cricket still provides the most satisfaction, "I am not worried about Test cricket's future. It is still very popular. When you perform, it gives real satisfaction... also in terms of job satisfaction. I still feel in Test cricket I have a long way to go. I want Test victories, series wins...want to win Test matches for the team and India. Stats and other things doesn't matter."
Sachin Tendulkar boasts 15921 runs in 200 test matches and 18426 runs in 463 One Day Internationals. Kohli, on the other hand, has only played 41 tests, scoring 2994 runs at an average of 44.02. He has also scored 7212 runs from 171 ODI matches at an average of 51.51. Kohli has also scored 25 ODI centuries and is halfway there to equalling Sachin’s ODI century record.
Going by statistical records, Virat Kohli clearly has a long way to go before his achievements can be compared to those of Tendulkar’s. However, the impact that he has been having on the Indian cricket team and his IPL franchise makes him one player who has the potential to go on and become a legend of Indian cricket.