Sachin Tendulkar’s Ex-Teammate Feels Virat Kohli is the Greatest ODI Batter of All Time

Virat Kohli's performance, both in bilateral ODI series' and at the Cricket World Cups, has garnered acclaim from fans and former players, setting him apart.

Sachin Tendulkar’s Ex-Teammate Feels Virat Kohli is the Greatest ODI Batter of All Time

Zaheer Khan lauded Virat Kohli as the 'greatest ODI batter', overlooking Sachin Tendulkar. (via Mint)

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Indian fast-bowling legend Zaheer Khan heaped praises on Virat Kohli, even going as far as to describe the 36-year-old as the ‘greatest ODI batter of all-time’. His selection of Kohli as the ‘best’ was surprising, given he spent a major part of his career playing alongside Sachin Tendulkar. 

Virat Kohli’s performance in the three-match ODI series against Australia was a bag of mixed results, as he failed to even score a single run in the first two ODIs. Marking his return to international cricket after seven months, Kohli was dismissed for consecutive ducks, as India went on to lose both the matches. However, he came back strong in the final ODI in Sydney, scoring a masterful 74 not out off 81 balls. 

The 74-run innings in the third and final ODI in Sydney was all the more historic for Kohli, as he went past several career milestones. The 36-year-old overtook Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara’s remarkable tally of 14,234 runs to become the second-highest run-getter in ODI cricket history. He now boasts 14,255 runs in the 50-over format, at an average of 57.71, including 51 centuries and 75 fifties so far. 

Ex-Indian pacer Zaheer Khan, who played alongside Kohli in the Indian squad during the victorious 2011 ICC ODI World Cup campaign, opened up in praise of the batter. Khan noted that what sets Kohli apart is his unmatched consistency and the ability to win matches. The 47-year-old also talked about Kohli’s dominance in pressure situations, which he added is what makes him the ‘greatest ODI batter’.

Despite Zaheer Khan’s praise for Kohli being seemingly well-deserved, fans were left questioning his choice for the RCB icon as the ‘finest’ ODI player, given he himself played alongside some of the format’s greatest. Khan played shared the pitch with Sachin Tendulkar, who is the highest run-scorer in ODI cricket history with 18,426 runs in 463 matches, apart from being the player with the most POTM awards. Khan said on Cricbuzz:

What sets [Virat] Kohli apart is his consistency and ability to win matches. His dominance in any pressure situation in matches is very good. This is what makes him the best ODI batsman of all time.

Apart from Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan also played alongside some of the other Indian ODI icons. He played under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly, and later under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, while sharing the dressing room with Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma and Virender Sehwag. 

Will Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma return for the ODI series against South Africa next month?

The Men in Blue next face South Africa in an all-format series at home, which includes two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. While Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have retired from two out of these three formats, it remains to be seen whether they get picked for the ODI series against the Proteas. 

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
It remains to be seen whether Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma return to the Indian ODI squad for South Africa series. (via NDTV Sports)

Virat Kohli only finished with 74 runs in three innings, at an average of 37.50. Rohit Sharma on the other hand, came out on top as the top-scorer in the 1-2 defeat to Australia away from home, hitting 202 runs at an average of 101 in three innings. He got dismissed for just eight runs in the first ODI, but went on to hit 73 runs off 97 balls in the second ODI at Adelaide, followed by an unbeaten hundred in Sydney. 

Sharma also won the Player of the Series award for his impressive run-scoring spree. However, questions still loom over both Kohli and Sharma’s availability for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa. The veteran duo, speaking after the Australia series, even signalled that the series was their last one in Australia, and their continued association with the Indian team until the 2027 WC remains in doubt. 

Apart from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer is another player whose participation in the India-South Africa ODI series remains in doubt. The 30-year-old suffered a serious impact injury to his left lower rib cage while fielding during the third ODI against Australia.

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