Legendary Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday hailed India captain Virat Kohli as of the greatest players of all time, but played down the comparison between the two batsmen.
"Coming to Virat's development as a player, I think he has developed immensely. And I always saw that spark in him. I always felt that he is going to be one of the leading players in the world, not just of this generation, but one of the leading players of all time," Tendulkar told reporters in Mumbai.
Kohli, 29, has surpassed Tendulkar to become the fastest player to score 10000 ODI runs. The India captain, who scored three back-to-back hundreds in the ongoing series against the West Indies, already has 38 ODI tons. And clearly, Tendulkar's record of 49 tons in danger.
Advertisement
At one time, Tendulkar's batting feats were considered unsurpassable, but Kohli has challenged that belief, forcing fans and pundits to compare the two batsmen.
"And then it is again about opinions. But if one has to go into comparisons, then I don't want to get into that. There were different bowlers who played in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and possibly in my time and what they are playing today. So I wouldn't want to get into that," Tendulkar said.
The legendary player was speaking after the first India camp of the Tendulkar Middlesex Global Academy began at the D Y Patil Stadium. His childhood friend and former India batsman Vinod Kambli also mentored the kids.
Advertisement
Tendulkar categorically stressed that he did not believe in comparisons.
"I think first of all, like how Virat has said and I have been saying for 24 years that I have played. I have never believed in comparison. Each generation if you take from the time cricket was played from day one to now, the change has been constant.
"Then each generation played differently, there were different rules, there were different restrictions, there were different surfaces, there were different balls also at times. So a lot of things, boundary lines if you see earlier, I have played where the ball had to hit the concrete in Australia, things have changed over the years. I personally don't feel one should be comparing different generations," he said.
"But within that generation also I personally believe there should not be any comparison, because every individual whatever he or she does need to be respected and judge by itself, it doesn't have to be always judged by comparing someone and I don't believe in that (comparisons)," Tendulkar noted.
