Former umpire Ian Gould reveals similarity between batting megastars Sachin & Kohli

Ian Gould has explained the similarity between batting megastars Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Kohli currently has 70 international tons to his name and in the ODI format, the Indian skipper is just seven 100s away from surpassing the Master Blaster. Virat has 43 ODI tons whereas, Sachin finished with 49 tons in 50-overs cricket. Tendulkar is the only batsman to have registered 100 international centuries in the history of the game.

READ: Kevin Pietersen Reveals Whether Virat Can Break Sachin's Record Of 100 International Tons

Ian Gould on Virat Kohli: 'Male model, pin-up boy, charming...' 

Ian Gould showered praise on skipper Virat Kohli and compared him to a male model, pin-up boy who knew the game inside out, both past and present. The former English cricketer, according to ESPN CricInfo, admitted that Virat Kohli batted like him on a couple of occasions and that he had to tell off the Indian skipper for slogging it.

Calling Virat Kohli a charmer, Gould compared the present Indian skipper to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, saying that he received the backing of the whole of India just like the Master Blaster did. Gould also spoke about the transition of Virat Kohli from a young player with short bursts of temper to a classy captain who is one of the most looked upon cricketers in the world at present. The umpire opined that the Indian skipper had learned to be more respectful over the years and that he was a very 'worldly' man.

READ: Virat Kohli Tells Ashwin He Loves To Inspire, Ready To Throw Away Fame Anytime

 
Sachin & Kohli's contribution to Indian cricket

Both Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli have made the nation proud and won many laurels by making their bat do the talking. Tendulkar had made his debut at the international level as a teenager back in 1989. Sachin has scored 15921 runs in 200 Tests and 18426 runs in 463 One Day Internationals. He also remains the top run-scorer in both these formats to date.

The Little Master also has 100 international centuries to his name which is a feat that no one else has achieved. The champion batsman also became the first player to score a double century in ODI cricket.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli had first burst onto the scene just months after leading India to an U-19 World Cup triumph in 2008. He has scored 7223 runs in 85 Tests, 11867 runs in 248 ODIs and 2794 runs in 82 T20Is. Kohli (43) needs just seven more tons to get past his idol Sachin who has 49 tons in the 50-overs format.

The Indian skipper had surpassed the likes of Tendulkar and Caribbean legend Brian Lara to become the only player in the history of the game to score 20,000 runs in international cricket. He had achieved this feat during World Cup 2019. 

Both Tendulkar and Kohli were a part of the Indian squad that had emerged triumphant at the 2011 World Cup where the Men In Blue won their second world title after a long wait of 28 years. Kohli and then team-mate Suresh Raina were seen carrying the cricket legend on their shoulders while taking a victory lap. 

(Image Courtesy: PTI)