The headline itself sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? With all the hysteria surrounding the retirement of the ‘little master’, it seems outrageous to be anointing a young player as the next big thing.
Virat Kohli’s innings of 115 not out off just 66 balls against Australia confirmed for me that he is the best young batsman in the world.
It’s not the volume of runs he is scoring, but the manner in which he is doing it that has me most impressed.
During India’s 2011/12 tour of Australia, he was the only Indian batsman to score a century in the Test series. That in a side that included Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni. No mean feat.
Let’s not forget his century in the ODI series currently locked at 2-2 at Jaipur that helped India chase down 360 with six overs to spare.
Or his 133 not out off 86 deliveries against Sri Lanka in Hobart which resulted in chasing down 321 in just 36.4 overs. Unheard of in ODI cricket.
These types of innings used to be something of a rare occurance, and they are now happening on a consistent basis.
20 years from now, I feel Kohli will be remembered as the best batsman of his generation.
If you look at his ODI record it would suggest he is something of a freak.
I have compared ODI statistics with the three men considered to be the best one-day batsmen along with their Test match records.
Viv Richards was considered the godfather of one-day cricket, scoring 11 centuries over 187 games for the West Indies at an average of 47.
Sachin Tendulkar took 79 ODI appearances for India to score his first century. He then went on to score 49 centuries at an average of 44.83 across 463 games.
Ricky Ponting represented Australia 375 times in ODI cricket and was able to score 30 centuries with an average of 42.03.
In 118 games for India, Kohli has amassed 4,919 runs at an average of 52.32 with an astonishing 17 centuries.
Kohli’s average is superior of all those players, he already has more centuries than Richards and if he continues to play for an extended period he will score well over 10,000 runs, an achievement once considered all but impossible.
If we look at the Test Match arena you will see Kohli has some work to do, but should his game improve from here.
Kohli has played only 18 Test matches for four centuries, scoring 1175 runs at an average of 41.96. Those numbers are very respectable without being in the all time great category for the five-day game.
Ponting scored 13,378 runs at an average of 51.85 including 41 centuries.
Tendulkar has 15,837 runs averaging 53.86 with 51 centuries.
Richards scored 8,540 runs with 24 centuries at an average of 50.
Kohli’s numbers in Test cricket don’t compare with the all time greats just yet, but in time they will. He is just one week shy of his 25th birthday and is coming into his peak years as a player.
Tendulkar is still playing at 40 years old, Ponting retired at 38 and Richards played his last Test at 39 years old.
Time won’t be an issue for Kohli and I can’t see much else getting in his way of becoming a Gen Y legend of the game.
expathack
Guest
As much as I rate Kohli (I think he's now clearly the best ODI batsman on the planet), I think it's pretty unlikely he'll join the all-time Test greats. Mostly because India don't seem to really give a stuff about Test anymore. Can't see him playing enough, or caring enough, to make a lasting mark.
expathack
Guest
Yep I think it's fair to say that Richards is incomparably better than anyone else. Average of 47 at a strike rate of 90(!!) is just ridiculous when you consider the scoring rates and pitches of the era he played in.
expathack
Guest
You're not quite being fair on the guy there mate, he's already shown enough in ODIs outside of Asia to suggest he's definitely not the home town hero you're trying to make him out to be. In Asia he's scored 50+ in 27 times in 71 innings = 50+ every 2.6296 innings Outside of Asia he's scored 50+ 16 times in 42 innings = 50+ every 2.625 innings
expathack
Guest
3 50s in his 7 innings so far in South Africa suggests he'll go pretty well.
Degsy
Guest
Averaged 31 against England in India in 2012; not sure if he was out of favour or injured the year before when India got drubbed 4 - 0. He has got the stones for test cricket, we just need a longer look at him over the next few years against Steyn, Harris, Anderson, Philander etc on green tracks to make a judgement on greatness
Francis Curro
Roar Pro
Saying he is the next Sachin is a big call. I am yet to see Kohli really dominate test cricket yet. That is the real challenge.
Gav
Guest
Exactly Well said! Let's wait a while before speaking of him in such tones.......and keep in the back of the mind what the Master Blaster might have achieved on today's one day pitches and with supercharged bats
Baggy_Green
Roar Pro
look closely at his figures though...13 of the 17 100s are in Asia (on flat roads)...hardly played any test cricket away from home....is a big frontfooter who has played almost all his career in the subcontinent....His real test is coming up...any judgement now will not be fair.. Sachin started in Pak away , Nz away , Eng Away and Oz away at the start of his career...and that IMO contributed in making him a legend..coz he was utterly good away from home also
Rajesh Kumar
Guest
Thanks, Brendon The information is as under: Virat Kohli - fifty-plus in succession 2012 133 not out vs Sri Lanka Hobart 28.2.2012 108 vs Sri Lanka Dhaka 13.3.2012 66 vs Bangladesh Dhaka 16.3.2012 183 vs Pakistan Dhaka 18.3.2012 106 vs Sri Lanka Hambantota 21.7.2012 2013 68 not out vs Zimbabwe Harare 20.7.2013 61 vs Australia Pune 13.10.2013 100 not out vs Australia Jaipur 16.10.2013 68 vs Australia Mohal i 19.10.2013 115 not out vs Australia Nagpur 30.10.2013 Rajesh Kumar
Praveen
Guest
He will be the next sachin
Sideline Comm.
Guest
As everyone else, I'm agreed he's a very good young player and good for the game, but I would point out that his century in Australia was at Adelaide, our most batter friendly wicket. I wouldn't call him a master of all pitches just yet. Mention of the roads in India is completely justified.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
I think he has little desire to compromise his game for ODI's- he is very like VVS Laxman in that regard. Both, batsmen in he puristic sense
Brendon the 1st
Guest
Nice work. Would you know where he scored the five consecutive fifties? Home or away? Would be interesting to see.
Brendon the 1st
Guest
Absolutely, he's a cocky/confidant bugger, I think that's why I like him, he shows a bit of mongrel. He could be anything.
Nick
Roar Guru
A fair question to be honest. Though watching him demolish Sri Lanka at Hobart convinced me that he is a seriously good find in India.
Mark
Guest
Agree. Pujara looks an amazing player but just can't break into the Indian ODI side. His List A stats are impressive - 9 hundreds and 18 50s in 68 matches average 54
Steven McBain
Roar Guru
Second time I've agreed with you today Brendon. I think Kohli looks a fine player and has all the tools to get to the very top of the game but I completely agree about the Indian pitches. If he does it against Steyn and co in SA then he deserves all the plaudits for sure. Seems a good guy and I love watching him bat so I hope he makes it.
Rajesh Kumar
Guest
Since January 2009, Virat has managed 4760 runs at an average of 53.48, including 17 hundreds and 25 fifties, in 113 matches. His aggregate and centuries are the records by any batsman since January 2009. He is the only batsman to manage five innings of fifty-plus in succession twice in ODIs - 2012 and 2013. He is only the fourth batsman to have amassed 1,000 runs in three successive calendar years in ODIs - the first three being Sourav Ganguly (four), Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. His 52-ball hundred vs Australia at Jaipur on October 16,2013 is an Indian record for the quickest century in ODIs. Having recorded a 61-ball century at Nagpur on October 30, 2013, he is the only batsman to post two hundreds off less than 62 balls vs Australia in ODIs and that too in the same series. Both his hundreds are the quickest by any batsman vs Australia in ODIs. Rajesh Kumar Cricket Statistician rajeshcricket1@yahoo.co.uk
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I think that was my first comment. When you consider how much higher scoring one day matches are now than they were in Viv's day, his record is quite extraordinary.
bemused
Guest
And the fact that Richards played against better bowling attacks,lilllee,hadlee,wasim akram etc.I wonder how viv would of went with a modern day bat.