Who is Sachin Tendulkar’s real successor, the one who can follow his unparalleled legacy?

Sachin Tendulkar, who re-wrote the history of cricket with his willow and climbed the mountain of runs in his 24-year-old nonpareil career, might be in a dilemma in finding his right successor. The once impossible feat has started looking like “I’m + possible” within a span of three years. Many of his records are in jeopardy, but between two different possible ‘successors’ – Alastair Cook and Virat Kohli.

When the Master was in his prime, he was compared to Sir Donald Bradman for his Bradman-esque play. His batting was spectacular and generated tremendous enthusiasm in the Indian hearts; it showed that hard work has no competition. Tendulkar defined the Indian middle class by emerging from the crowd and becoming the talk of the town. He was a true prodigy with tons of talent, but talent needs to be polished every time to shine – and that's what he did with his willow.

Tendulkar became the sun of Indian cricket, giving a ray of hope and a belief in chasing one's dreams. He helmed his own success story without sitting on cloud nine or being lethargic, and a country of a billion was inspired.

What truly made Sachin special were his adaptability and innovation. He had a wolf in his belly that was always hungry for runs. His robust shoulders soon carried the expectations of the whole country, and he lived our dreams for close to two decades. Sachin reached a stature that seemed out of reach of anyone; his records looked immortal. But immortality is a dynamic term, which can be moulded according to the sands of time.

Virat Kohli in ODIs

Tendulkar's ODI records are seriously in danger, as Virat Kohli is catching up to them like a sprinter running for his life. Already the fastest to score 7,000 runs with 25 centuries in his kitty in less than 200 matches. Kohli is just 27 and has at least 10 years of cricket left in him. The type of godly form he is in, the sky seems the limit for him. Kohli challenges himself and defines the flamboyance of Indian youth.

The Delhi dynamo resembles a livewire with 10,000 kilowatts current. He isn’t chocolaty, he is the bad boy of Indian cricket. Showing respect to bowlers isn’t his style, he likes whacking them towards the stands. He almost reminds me of Achilles with his unmatchable machismo and bravery, eager to savour the victory and live life on his own terms.

The dashing star is rapidly climbing the Test ladder too, but has miles to get to the final level and joust with Tendulkar's records. He is already the apple of the marketing world, and brands are banking on his mercurial and magnetic persona; it won't be long before Kohli dethrones Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the king of endorsements.

Alastair Cook in Tests

The contender to reach Sachin Everest in Tests is Alastair Cook from England. We first saw the boy with a sparkling smile and hazel eyes in 2006, during England's tour to India. He looked gutsy and determined to graft his innings smoothly. He wasn’t a prodigy like Tendulkar, but his unswerving patience made the jaws of even Indian fans drop.

Cook suddenly came into the limelight for his flawless technique on alien lands, especially in the Ashes. He isn’t flashy like Kohli, neither is he a great ODI batsman, but he is extremely effective in Tests. Cook puts his blinkers on while batting, and is unaffected by any obstacle; now that’s what we call “as cool as a cucumber”.

Cook the batsman defines the era of old fashioned, technically sound English cricketers, and he always seems eager to bat for ages. On the field he looks like a saint, and his batting reflects his penance. His audacity is silent, just like the silence before the tsunami. As the proverb says, “speech is silver, silence is golden”.

Cook is just 16 runs shy of crossing the 10,000-run mark in Tests, and he will be the youngest to reach the milestone – breaking Tendulkar’s record. The Little Master joined the 10,000 club at the age of 31 years and 11 months, while Cook is still 6 months younger. He also has 4-5 years cricket left in him; a few glorious seasons and he could possibly touch the 16,000 mark.

Although Tendulkar is above every record and is rightly called the grandsire of Indian cricket, statistics always hold greater importance than emotion. Records are meant to be broken, after all.