While Sachin Tendulkar is regarded as the ‘God of Cricket’, on the other hand, the current Indian captain Virat Kohli is regarded as the modern-day legend of this game. Over the years, both the cricketers have inspired many youngsters, who want to make it big in the cricket field.
There has always been this never-ending debate going on between Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. The latest one to weigh in on the never-ending Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar is none other than former South Africa captain AB de Villiers.
Recently, during an Instagram live session with former Zimbabwe cricketer-turned-commentator Pommie Mbangwa, de Villiers was asked to choose between Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Answering which AB chose Sachin Tendulkar, he said:
“Sachin is a role model for both of us – the way he stood out in his era, the things he achieved and with the grace he did all that is a great example for everyone,”
He added:
“And I think Virat will also say that he (Sachin) set the standards for us to follow. But personally, in a chase, I’d say Virat is the best I’ve seen in my life. Sachin was amazing in all formats and all situations, but Virat comes out on top while chasing,”
Furthermore, he was also asked to chose between Virat Kohli and Steve Smith. Answering this one, he said that Virat Kohli is more like Roger Federer whereas Steve Smith is like Rafael Nadal. He said:
“It’s a difficult one, but Virat is definitely the more natural ball-striker, there’s no doubt about that,”
He added:
“In tennis terms, I’d say he’s more like a (Roger)Federer whereas Smith is like a (Rafael) Nadal. Smith is mentally very strong and figures out a way of scoring runs – he doesn’t look natural, but he ends up writing records and doing amazing things at the crease. I think mentally, Smith is one of the best I have ever seen. Virat has also scored runs all over the world and won games under pressure,”
AB de Villiers showered praises on Virat Kohli and said that he is much deeper than just a cricket player. He said:
“He’s much deeper than just a cricket player (…) I think most people realise after a while that there’s more to life than just cricket,”
He added:
“I think we all fall into that bubble initially. But Virat’s always been a thinker, he experiments (with) a lot of things, he loves trying new things out – gym wise, what he puts in his mouth. He thinks a lot about life after life – what’s to come, the different religions, we talk about everything.”
Here, watch the video:
AB de Villiers weighs in on the great Indian dilemma – Sachin or Virat? pic.twitter.com/RdlraCKnfB
— Rooter App (@RooterSports) May 15, 2020
Meanwhile, the Coronavirus crisis has made a severe impact on the global sporting calendar. The resumption of elite cricketing action is being discussed across various countries. If the COVID-19 crisis wouldn’t have taken place, then the cricketers around the world would have been locking their horns with each other in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League.
