With India batting star Virat Kohli hitting his 45th ODI ton during the series opener against Sri Lanka in Guwahati, comparisons with Sachin Tendulkar followed. Such has been the case with Kohli for years now considering his appetite to score hundreds in ODIs is second only to the batting legend.
Before Kohli underwent a century drought that lasted nearly three years, he appeared all set to match or maybe even break Tendulkar’s record of 100 international centuries.
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While that record might have become a little more challenging for Kohli but he can emulate and perhaps surpass Tendulkar’s record for the most ODI centuries in history in 2023 itself.
Tendulkar retired with 49 tons in ODIs and Kohli needs five more such scores to go past his countryman.
Statistically, Kohli continues to draw comparisons with the batting maestro but Gautam Gambhir thinks it’s uncalled for claiming it was much more difficult in Tendulkar’s era to score runs.
“It’s not about the record honestly. Virat Kohli will go on to get many more centuries than Sachin Tendulkar in 50-overs format. See, the rules have changed,” Gambhir said on Star Sports.
“You should not compare eras. It’s not fair to compare eras as well where there was one new ball as compared to now when there are two new balls with five fielders inside. But yes, he has been a master in this format and he has shown it over such a long period of time,” he added.
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Gambhir was referring to the Powerplay rules that restrict the number of fielders that can be deployed outside the 30-yard circle during the various stages of an innings.
India’s top-three pummelled the Sri Lankan attack in the first ODI with captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill stitching a century stand for the first wicket.
Rohit made a quickfire 83 off 67 while Gill struck 70 off 60 before Kohli lit up the Barsapara Cricket Stadium with a sparkling 114. India posted a mammoth 373/7 before Sri Lanka were kept to 306/8.
Gambhir also lashed out at Sri Lankan bowling, terming it ‘ordinary’.
“It was pretty ordinary bowling,” Gambhir said. “The top three of the Indian batting line-up have got lots and lots of runs behind them. Rohit and Kohli obviously, Shubman also has the ability to get so many runs in international cricket. And how easy it was for Rohit and Shubman to get runs today. That was a surprise for me. You have to be consistent and Sri Lanka’s bowling outing was very very disappointing for me,” he said.
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