The century on Sunday against South Africa against sparked the debate, Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli, who is the best? To end the conversation, cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar expressed his opinion.
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar on Sunday described Virat Kohli as the greatest ODI cricketer of all time, saying the Indian legend’s world record for centuries reflects his unmatched stature in the format. Kohli on Sunday scored his 52nd ODI century, smashing 135 off 120 balls to help India post 349 for eight against South Africa in the first ODI.
Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli, who is best?
“I don’t think there’s any doubt about it. I mean, it’s not just me who thinks it. I think everyone who has played with him and against him agrees that he is the greatest in the ODI format,” Gavaskar told during a media talk. He said, “Look, you’ve scored 52 centuries. That puts you on a very high level, so to speak.”
The former Indian captain said that Australia’s Ricky Ponting had also acknowledged Kohli’s ability. Gavaskar said, “I just heard Ricky Ponting say Kohli is the best he’s seen in ODI cricket. I mean, when an Australian captain says Kohli is the best, I don’t think there’s any room for debate. Everyone would agree that it’s rare to get praise from an Australian.”
Gavaskar said that surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record of 51 ODI centuries gives Kohli a distinct identity. He said, ‘You know that Sachin was at the top with 51 centuries but when you leave behind the great Sachin Tendulkar then you know where you stand.’
Gavaskar termed South Africa coach Shubman Conrad’s controversial ‘bring India to their knees’ remark as ‘ill-advised’.
“It may have been an ill-advised comment – wrong time, wrong place. I hope he addresses this the next time he speaks to the media. I don’t think an apology is necessary. I personally don’t believe in apologies,” he said.