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In the world of cricket, the debate surrounding Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli's prowess often takes center stage. Kohli has been hailed as the heir to Tendulkar's legacy since his early days in international cricket. Over the years, Kohli's star has continued to rise, and he is now regarded as one of the driving forces behind cricket's inclusion in the Olympics.
While Kohli has established himself as one of the greatest Test batsmen of his generation, comparisons with Tendulkar, who enjoyed a remarkable 23-year career, have been a constant topic of discussion. In Test cricket, Kohli's achievements, although impressive, are yet to match the heights Tendulkar reached. However, the scenario is quite different in One Day Internationals (ODIs).
Kohli is on the verge of equaling Tendulkar's extraordinary record of centuries in ODI cricket, despite playing fewer matches. This accomplishment has led many to argue that Kohli may already surpass Tendulkar's legacy in ODI cricket.
Australia's Usman Khawaja recently weighed in on this debate during an appearance on Fox Cricket. He stated, "I am going to say in ODIs, yes." When asked if Kohli is better than Tendulkar in ODIs, Khawaja pointed to the statistics, emphasizing that Kohli has nearly equaled Tendulkar's century count while playing significantly fewer matches. Khawaja, who grew up with Tendulkar as the benchmark, acknowledged the extraordinary nature of Kohli's achievements, stating, "Sachin was the benchmark for when I grew up, but what he [Kohli] is doing right now, no one has ever done that in the game."
To put the statistics into perspective, Tendulkar scored 18,426 runs in 463 ODI matches at an average of 44.83, with 49 centuries and 96 half-centuries. At the time of his retirement from ODIs, the second-highest centuries in the format belonged to former Australia captain Ricky Ponting with 30 centuries. In contrast, Kohli has amassed 47 centuries in just 284 matches, with an astonishing average of 57.56.
One of the standout qualities that sets Kohli apart is his consistency in chasing targets. Khawaja referred to him as "the greatest run chaser we have ever seen in One-Day cricket." He attributed Kohli's exceptional consistency to the fact that he minimizes risks while accumulating runs and paces his innings to perfection. Khawaja further elaborated, "The thing I love about Virat is his consistency. The reason I believe he is so consistent over such a long period is that he is the greatest two and four-hitter I have seen. He doesn't hit a lot of sixes in ODIs."
The Tendulkar vs. Kohli debate remains a matter of personal opinion, but there's no denying that both players have left an indelible mark on the world of cricket, each in their own unique way. Kohli's achievements in ODIs continue to add fuel to this fascinating cricket conversation.
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