Virat Kohli has once again opened up about the comparisons between him and Sachin Tendulkar, making it clear that he does not look at his career through the lens of such debates. For Kohli, Sachin will always remain Sachin the legendary cricketer who inspired an entire generation.
Kohli has been compared with Tendulkar for more than a decade, particularly as he continued to break and rewrite several ODI batting records. However, despite achieving milestones that once belonged to Tendulkar, Kohli has consistently maintained that he sees the former India batter with immense respect and admiration.
“For me, Sachin paaji is always going to be Sachin paaji. MS Dhoni is always going to be MS Dhoni in terms of being my first captain. These things cannot change inside me,” Kohli said.
The former India captain also explained that he has never viewed himself as someone who has reached a point where there is nothing left to achieve.
“I have never looked at myself as a guy who has established and achieved. You never really get to a position where you say that’s it. I’ve done it,” he said.
Kohli Says Tendulkar’s Impact Goes Beyond Numbers
While Kohli has gone past several of Tendulkar’s statistical milestones, he believes numbers cannot fully describe the impact the legendary batter had on cricket.
Kohli pointed out that Tendulkar “revolutionised the game in his time” and said that the impact he left on people will never be forgotten.
“You can be content, but if you put your head down and you are humble enough to perform and prepare and just do the right things in sport, from an ego perspective, you can never get to a position saying ‘I’m better than everyone else’. Because that’s the end,” Kohli said.
“He revolutionised the game in his time. And that for me is way beyond numbers and comparisons. The impact he left on people will never be forgotten,” he added.
For Kohli, therefore, the discussion is not simply about who has scored more runs or broken more records. Tendulkar’s influence on Indian cricket and on the generation that grew up watching him is something Kohli believes cannot be measured through statistics.
Kohli Recently Reached Another Major ODI Milestone
Kohli’s comments came after another remarkable achievement in his ODI career.
During India’s first ODI against the West Indies, Kohli scored his 55th century in the format and also became the fastest batter to reach 15,000 ODI runs.
He reached the milestone in his 303rd innings, while Tendulkar had taken 377 innings to reach the same mark.
The achievement once again brought the Kohli-Tendulkar comparisons into the spotlight. However, Kohli’s own words show that he continues to separate personal admiration from the statistical comparisons made by fans and the cricketing world.
‘I Don’t See Myself Through the Same Lens’
Kohli also spoke about how people view him from the outside. He said he appreciates the love and admiration he receives from cricket fans but admitted that he does not always see himself in the same way others see him.
“It’s very similar to when someone who really loves the game admires me and what I’ve done playing for the country. When they come in, they meet me in a certain way. I’m not able to understand their perspective,” Kohli said.
He explained that fans know him through his performances and his career, while he knows himself through his own journey.
“For me, I am not the person that they have made me to be, because they know me from a distance. They know my performances and me playing cricket,” he said.
Kohli added that despite all the records and achievements, he remains connected to the person he has always been.
“At its core, I understand where I have come from. And you never really stop being the person that you are. I don’t see myself through the same lens as other people do,” he said.
A Respect That Goes Beyond Cricket Records
The Kohli-Tendulkar comparison is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, especially as Kohli continues to reach milestones that once belonged to his idol.
But Kohli’s latest comments offer a clear insight into how he personally views Tendulkar. Regardless of the records he breaks or the numbers he accumulates, Sachin Tendulkar remains the player he grew up admiring.
For Virat Kohli, Sachin paaji will always be Sachin paaji and that respect goes far beyond runs, centuries, records or comparisons.
