AB de Villiers has clarified his comments on Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar after facing backlash from fans.
The South African legend had said that Sachin was the first Indian batter to show that players could succeed in difficult overseas conditions.
He then suggested that Kohli took that progress further, particularly with his approach against bounce and seam.
The comparison quickly became a talking point among fans. So, was de Villiers actually trying to put Kohli above Sachin?
His latest explanation suggests that was not his intention. AB De Villiers said Sachin played a major role in changing the mindset of Indian batters.
According to him, Tendulkar showed younger players that they could perform consistently outside India and set the foundation for the generation that followed.
He believes Kohli then added a different approach to Indian batting. De Villiers highlighted Kohli’s fitness, leadership and ability to deal with the short ball as some of the qualities that influenced younger players.
Interestingly, AB de Villiers also accepted that Kohli‘s overseas statistics are not better than Sachin’s, especially because of Kohli’s struggles in England.
His point, therefore, was less about deciding who had the better career and more about the impact both players had on Indian cricket.
Sachin opened the door for the next generation, while de Villiers believes Kohli helped push that standard further.
The Kohli Sachin debate may not end anytime soon, but de Villiers has now explained what he meant.
