Comparisons between Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar are frequent, largely owing to Kohli’s insatiable hunger for runs. Kohli’s remarkable 15-year cricket career has already elevated him to the status of an all-time cricket great. Even after all these years, he shows no signs of slowing down. His recent performance in the Asia Cup Super 4 match against Pakistan, where he scored his 47th ODI century, has brought him closer to breaking Tendulkar’s record of the most ODI centuries. Kohli is just three centuries away from surpassing Tendulkar’s mark of 49 and becoming the first cricketer to achieve 50 ODI centuries.
Kohli, with a total of 77 international centuries across formats, currently trails only Tendulkar in this prestigious list. In terms of total runs, Kohli is not far behind either. He has already secured a place in the top five with 25,711 runs. There’s a good chance he will overtake Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardena (25,957 runs) in the upcoming ODI World Cup, securing the fourth spot. However, Tendulkar’s mammoth total of 34,357 runs is still a considerable distance away.
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Beyond the numbers, runs, centuries, and averages, do Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar share any common traits? Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar certainly believes so. He asserts that both Kohli and Tendulkar share an immense passion for playing cricket.
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“The one commonality between Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar is their sheer love for the game. They have an undying enthusiasm for being out on the cricket field. Even when not playing, as seen in the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 match against Bangladesh, Kohli was not part of the playing eleven but eagerly ran onto the field with drinks and towels, leaving no opportunity to contribute as a substitute fielder,” Manjrekar mentioned in an interview with journalist Vimal Kumar.
Manjrekar was alluding to Kohli’s enthusiastic involvement despite being rested for the game against Bangladesh, as India had already secured their spot in the next round.
“He simply wants to play and it appears he relishes being an integral part of the team. Having captained the team for an extended period, he doesn’t seem to harbor any unfulfilled ambitions for power. Being with the team, traveling with fellow players, setting foot on the ground, and sharing in moments of victory hold greater significance for him,” Manjrekar observed.
However, Manjrekar also noted that surpassing Tendulkar’s record of 51 Test centuries would be a formidable challenge for Kohli. While Kohli currently boasts 29 Test centuries, Tendulkar’s extraordinary 51 centuries in the longest format of the game place him at the pinnacle.
“Sachin Tendulkar’s 51 Test centuries, 17 more than Sunil Gavaskar’s final tally, represent an extraordinary achievement. While accumulating runs in ODIs is relatively easier for a skilled player, as bowlers aren’t consistently striving for wickets, both Tendulkar and Kohli stand out because of their significant number of Test centuries. Nonetheless, I believe reaching the milestone of 51 Test centuries will be an exceedingly tough feat for Kohli,” Manjrekar concluded.
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