"Nobody is above Sachin Tendulkar"- Ravichandran Ashwin on Virat Kohli
Published - 18 May 2025, 01:17 PM | Updated - 18 May 2025, 01:21 PM
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Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin refused to declare Virat Kohli as the greatest Test cricketer India has ever produced despite being a full package. Whether it is batting, captaincy, attitude, or impact, Virat Kohli ticked all the boxes with great passion and fashion.
While fans are still recovering from Kohli’s shocking retirement from Test cricket, Ashwin’s bold take on the biggest-ever Indian Test cricket turned heads on social media.
With 9,230 runs in 113 matches, including 30 centuries and 29 fifties, Kohli not only led India with grit but also brought a new level of aggression and fitness to the red-ball game.
Ravichandran Ashwin picks Sachin Tendulkar over Virat Kohli as greatest Test cricketer
Under Kohli’s captaincy, India dominated at home and away, winning their first-ever Test series in Australia in 2018-19 and reaching the top of the ICC Test rankings and maintaining the position for some years. He also holds the record for the most Test wins (40) as Indian captain.
Read Also: Virat Kohli feared being thrown out of ODIs too!! Real reason behind Ugly Test Retirement OUT!!
While Ashwin said that he doesn't like to compare players from different eras, Sachin Tendulkar will always be number one for him, as he’s been a fan since childhood. However, the former Indian all-rounder also made it clear that Kohli's greatness is not any less.
Sachin Tendulkar will always be No.1 for me: Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin told Vimal Kumar during an interaction, “I never compare across generations. For me, Sachin Tendulkar will always be number one. Because I was his fan since childhood. So, I would never put anyone ahead of Sachin Tendulkar. It doesn't mean that Virat Kohli is less.”
The former Indian off-spinner recalled a moment that showed Virat Kohli’s unmatched energy on the field and impact. During a match, Kohli chased a slowly rolling ball from short mid-wicket with incredible speed, slid, and threw it back in one motion, Ashwin was stunned by Kohli’s intensity and joked about wanting to eat whatever fuels his former teammate’s fire.
Read Also: "Look at Virat Kohli's numbers, they aren't good"- Aaron Finch's no-nonsense verdict
When Ravichandran Ashwin awestruck by Kohli's fitness level
Ashwin further explained, “I will give an instance of Virat Kohli. I am not sure if it was Jonny Bairstow or Joe Root. He hit a flick. Virat was in the short midwicket. And the ball was rolling slowly. There was a maximum of one run. If he had hit a deep mid-wicket fielder, it could have been two runs.”
He signed off by saying, “He ran after the ball like a madman. But when I saw him, I was like, why is he running so fast? He ran and hit a slide, he turned and threw. He threw from under and even fell. He hit the stump, and the tits are unnoticed. I used to think, what does he eat? What do you eat? Give me whatever you eat.”
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Notably, Kohli might be back in England soon, but this time, not for India. After retiring from Test cricket, there’s a chance he could don the whites for Middlesex at Lord’s. The club has shown interest in bringing the Indian legend in for a red-ball stint at the iconic venue.
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