Kohli vs Sachin: Why Virat Refuses The Comparison?

Virat Kohli has once again made it clear that he does not want to compare himself with Sachin Tendulkar, despite breaking another major ODI record against West Indies.

Kohli scored an unbeaten 139 in the first ODI in Thiruvananthapuram and completed 15,000 ODI runs. He also smashed his 55th ODI century.

Kohli reached the 15,000 run mark in just 303 innings, becoming the fastest batter to reach the milestone. Tendulkar had taken 377 innings to reach the same mark.

But when asked about the constant comparisons with Tendulkar, Kohli made his position clear.

For me, Sachin paaji is always going to be Sachin paaji, Kohli said. Kohli has been compared with Tendulkar for more than a decade, especially after breaking several of his ODI records. He now has 55 ODI centuries, six more than Tendulkar’s 49.

However, Virat Kohli said Tendulkar’s impact on cricket cannot be measured through numbers. He pointed out that the former India batter revolutionised the game during his career and left a lasting impact on people.

Kohli also spoke about how fans see him. He said he appreciates the love and admiration he receives, but he does not see himself in the same way because people mainly know him through his performances on the cricket field.

The comments came just after another record breaking ODI innings from Kohli. He is now playing only ODI cricket for India after retiring from Tests and T20Is.

With the 2027 World Cup confirmed as his final World Cup, Kohli will now have a clear focus on the 50 over format.

And while the Tendulkar comparisons will continue whenever another record falls, Kohli himself has made it clear that Sachin paaji will always remain Sachin paaji for him.