Ravichandran Ashwin, who has played alongside both Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, has no doubt which of the two is the better batsman. For the former India spinner, the Master Blaster gets the vote for two simple reasons: the era in which Tendulkar played his cricket and what he meant to an entire nation. The comparisons between Kohli and Tendulkar are never-ending and promise to stand the test of time long after Virat retires. In ODIs, Kohli has gained the upper hand, overtaking his idol’s tally of centuries, but in Tests, Tendulkar is miles ahead, keeping the debate open.
In terms of skill, India has yet to witness anyone better than Tendulkar, but when it comes to fitness, consistency and the ability to pile on hundreds one after another, Kohli takes the cake. For Ashwin, however, the answer is clear because, one, he is a big Tendulkar fan. And two…
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“There should never be any comparisons between Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, and every time I will stick my neck out and say, Sachin Tendulkar. On two counts. First, I am a big fan. And second, look at the kind of innings he has played. He was Indian cricket’s hope. It is not Virat Kohli’s fault. If he were to bat at No. 3 in any generation, he would have been a champion player, no doubt. But look at the rules, in the first innings, after 34 overs against West Indies in the 1st ODI, they should have played with one ball. The ball got old in daylight. Sachin Tendulkar played a lot of 50-overs cricket in day-time. We don’t play that. Five fielders are inside the circle. Two new balls. These are huge factors. And to compare people of two generations, it’s sinister in my mind,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show ‘Ash ki Baat’.
Then again, there is one way Kohli can win Ashwin over. And that is by reaching the landmark that was only dreamed of 14 years ago: matching Tendulkar’s record of 100 international hundreds, let alone surpassing it. With 86 centuries, Kohli has 14 more to go, and with India expected to play another 30-odd ODIs, including next year’s World Cup in South Africa, his current form suggests the milestone is within reach, unless something goes horribly wrong.
Ashwin willing to place Kohli on the same level as Tendulkar but under one condition
Kohli has already stated that it will be the last World Cup he plays, and since Ashwin does not see his former captain continuing beyond it, a century of centuries remains a realistic possibility. Only then, Ashwin believes, would he place Kohli on the same level of greatness as the man who paved the way for an entire generation of Indian cricketers.
“As a well-wisher, I really wish he hangs up his boots by then (2027 World Cup) because he has committed that it will be his last World Cup. To maintain such elite level of fitness and batting requires a lot of effort, and I’m sure behind closed doors, he is continuing to put in that work. He doesn’t want to do it after that. Keeping all that in mind, logically, he can do it – score 100 centuries – and if he does, I will take my hat off. It will be a remarkable achievement. And in this home run, if he is able to do it, I would say both of them are on the same level, without a shadow of a doubt,” added Ashwin.