'45 hundreds don't happen like this': Sourav Ganguly's brilliant take on Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar debate

Former Indian skipper and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly was asked to settle the Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar debate during the three-match ODI series between India and Sri Lanka.

Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly dodged the question which might have settled the Sachin Tendulkar versus Virat Kohli debate during a promotional event. In the quest to shatter the long-standing century record of the Master Blaster, former Indian skipper Virat Kohli slammed his second-successive ton in the 1st One Day International (ODI) at Guwahati.

Sourav Ganguly was recently asked to settle the Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar debate (AP-PTI)

Kohli, who ended the 2022 season with a century in Bangladesh, kickstarted the new year by notching up his 45th ODI ton in the series opener against Sri Lanka at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. The talismanic batter of the Rohit Sharma-led side is now four centuries shy of Tendulkar's monumental feat in the 50-over format. Throwing weight behind Kohli, former cricketers Gautam Gambhir and Sanjay Manjrekar have already tipped the batting icon to eclipse Tendulkar.

When asked to share his views about the million-dollar question, Ganguly refused to give his verdict. However, the former India skipper and ex-Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president hailed Kohli for his batting brilliance. "It's a difficult question to answer. Kohli is a fantastic player. He's played many such innings, 45 hundreds don't happen like this. He's a special talent. There will be periods when he will not score, but he's a special player," Ganguly told news agency PTI.

Run machine Kohli played a majestic knock of 113 off 87 balls in the 1st ODI between India and Sri Lanka at Guwahati on Tuesday. Riding on Kohli's batting masterclass, India managed to post a match-winning total of 373-7 in 50 overs. The batting maestro was named the Player of the Match for his sublime knock. Former India skipper Kohli has 73 international centuries while batting legend Tendulkar is the only cricketer to have notched up 100 tons.

Legendary cricketer Tendulkar is the all-time leading run-getter in Test and ODI formats. Kohli, who matched one of Tendulkar's incredible feats in the 1st ODI against Sri Lanka, has scored over 12,580 runs in the 50-over format. Kohli-starrer India will meet Sri Lanka in the series decider at Eden Gardens on Thursday.