Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar are two of the best batsmen to have ever stepped onto the cricket field. Tendulkar, who bid adieu to the game in 2013, still remains the only cricket to hit 100 international centuries while many back Kohli, who has scored 70 centuries to his name, to break his idol’s record. Courtesy their batting prowess, and the debate of who’s better between continues to be a hot topic of discussion among the cricket fans. Recently, cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir also presented his views on the discussion and he gave an edge to the Master Blaster in ODIs owing to the modern-day rules which have made batting easier. Gautam Gambhir Says 'Experience of International Cricket is Not Necessary to Be Successful T20 Batting Coach.'

“Sachin Tendulkar, because probably with one white ball and four fielders inside the circle, not five fielders outside, it will be Sachin Tendulkar for me. It’s difficult because Virat Kohli has done phenomenally well but I think the rules have changed as well, which has helped a lot of new batters,” said Gambhir while featuring on Star Sports show Cricket Connected.

The 2011-World Cup winner also highlighted many factors which help batsman in modern-day white-ball cricket. “The new generation, with two new balls, no reverse swing, nothing for the finger spin, five fielders inside for the 50 overs, probably that makes batting much easier. Look at how Sachin Tendulkar has played, different rules, that time 230 to 240, was a winning total. Probably I’ll go with Sachin Tendulkar if we see the longevity and flow of the one-day cricket format,” he added.

Well, cricket has certainly changed over the years and there’s a vast difference between the playing conditions of today’s and two decades ago. However, Tendulkar played only two formats majority of his career while Kohli playing all three formats from his debut. Also, the introduction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has made the player’s schedule even more packed. So, it will be interesting to see if Virat will be able to surpass Sachin’s tally or not.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 21, 2020 03:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).