'Virat Kohli Would Have Broken Sachin Tendulkar's Record If..': Ex-PAK Pacer Silences 'Comparison' Talk

Former Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Amir reckons it is unfair to compare Virat Kohli with any other players of this generation. The Indian batter has been in swashbuckling form in the World Cup on home soil. In his seven appearances in the tournament, Kohli has collected 442 runs, including one century and four 50-plus scores. In his latest game against Sri Lanka, Kohli went quite close to equalling Sachin Tendulkar on the list of the most ODI hundreds. He ultimately fell 12 runs short of achieving the historic feat. It was certainly a huge disappointment for fans who were expecting to witness history.

Mohammad Amir told Geo News that Virat Kohli could have broken Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI tons long ago if he had only played against weak teams. Amir was also not happy with those who often compare Kohli with other batters of the present era. According to the ex-Pakistani pacer, it is his internet that sets Kohli apart from the other batters.

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“I don’t know why people keep comparing Virat Kohli. Any comparison is stupid. Secondly, you have to look at the player’s intent. He was playing ball-to-ball against Sri Lanka. If Virat Kohli played series against the Netherlands, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe then he would have broken Sachin Tendulkar’s record by now. He doesn’t play against these teams,” Mohammad Amir said.

Though Amir did not mention anyone’s name, it might be a subtle dig at Pakistan captain Babar Azam, whose technique and playing style have been often compared with that of Virat Kohli. However, considering the stats of both batters, Babar has a long way to go to match the stature of Kohli. During his international career thus far, Babar has notched 19 ODI centuries, while Kohli has already got 48 tons in the 50-over format.

Babar Azam entered the ongoing World Cup as the No. 1 ODI batter in the world. But he has failed to do justice to the reputation. Babar has managed just 216 runs in seven matches at a below-par batting average of 30.85.

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Meanwhile, Virat Kohli is currently the third-highest run-scorer in the World Cup, after South Africa’s Quinton de Kock and New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra. Before the Sri Lanka fixture, Kohli missed another opportunity to reach his record-equalling 49th ODI century against New Zealand. He scored 95 runs off 104 balls before losing his wicket in a slower delivery off Matt Henry.