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Virat Kohli declared greatest over Sachin Tendulkar due to external factors: 'He had to deal with a hell of a lot more…'
The ex-England cricketer praised Kohli’s resilience under immense off-field pressure and consistency, calling him the greatest player of the past 20–30 years.
The Virat Kohli vs Sachin Tendulkar debate remains unresolved, and likely will stay that way, given they played in different eras under different conditions. While Kohli has consistently hailed Tendulkar as his idol and unquestioned numero uno, some former cricketers have still sided with him over the Master Blaster in this ongoing debate.
Former England fast bowler Steve Harmison stirred debate by naming Kohli ahead of Tendulkar as the top cricketer. He cited Kohli’s resilience in handling immense off-field pressures, adapting to a changing game, and performing consistently, calling him the greatest player of the last 20–30 years.
"I put Virat Kohli at number one over Sachin Tendulkar, and that would raise a lot of eyebrows. But I thought his career, and what he had to do in his career, was I thought the way the game changed over the course of this last ten years, Virat's had to have deal with a hell of a lot more off the field stuff that would affect him on the field. I think for me, in the last 20-30 years, the greatest cricketer that has played the game, you take Shane Warne out, because he had come a lot before, I think it's Virat Kohli," Harmison said on talkSPORT Cricket.
Kohli unlikely to surpass Tendulkar's ODI runs tally with uncertainty over future
Kohli surpassed Tendulkar’s record for most ODI centuries, but with questions over his future, it seems unlikely he’ll overtake the Master Blaster in runs. Tendulkar leads the ODI charts with 18,426 runs, while Kohli sits third with 14,181. The 37-year-old has already retired from Tests, trailing Tendulkar in key statistics.
Also Read - Virat Kohli felt 'unwanted', chose 'self-respect and dignity'; Rohit Sharma could be next: 'Why else did he quit Tests?'
Meanwhile, Kohli retired from Test cricket in May, ending a remarkable 14-year career across 123 matches. Making his debut against the West Indies in 2011, he became India’s leading batter after Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement, scoring 9,230 runs at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties. As captain in 68 Tests, he led India to 40 victories, becoming the team’s most successful Test leader.
The 37-year-old now plays exclusively in ODIs and has been selected for the three-match series in Australia later this month. However, questions are emerging about his role in India’s plans for the 2027 World Cup, as the team has been making bold decisions about its future recently.
