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The India National Cricket Team is currently in Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series, as the first Test has already begun on Saturday at Galle. Amidst this, a former Pakistan National Cricket Team pacer has reignited the debate about the Greatest Batsman of All Time across formats. He has shared his views on the greatest ever batter he has ever witnessed.
There has been a lot of debate across the cricketing fraternity about who is the greatest batter of all time: is it Virat Kohli or Sachin Tendulkar? Some believe that Kohli is the best; some believe Tendulkar is best; however, there has been a vast difference between both cricketers and the eras they have played in and the bowlers they played against.
Shoaib Akhtar crowns Sachin Tendulkar over Virat Kohli
Shoaib Akhtar reignited the debate on Pakistan’s TV show Hasna Mana Hai, stating that he has bowled to some of the greatest batters in the world. But he stated that, according to him, Sachin Tendulkar remains the Greatest Batsman of All Time. He said that he never saw Sir Vivian Richards play, but Sachin remains the best among all of them.
"Sachin is the greatest batsman of all time. Period. Maine Viv (Richards) ko dekha nahi hai khelte hue, maine Imran (Khan) bhai ko dekha hai khelte hue, maine Wasim (Akram) bhai ko dekha hai khelte hue."
"Martin Crowe mere favourite the, Ricky Ponting mere favourite the, lekin Sachin has to be the greatest of all time," Akhtar said. Vo bahut bade player hai, aaj bhi maanta hu," he added.
Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli's comparison
Sachin Tendulkar is the leading run-getter in international cricket with a total of 34,357 international runs across all formats in his 24-year career, with most of his runs coming in ODIs and Test cricket. He remains the leading run scorer in both formats with 18,426 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 15,921 runs in Test matches.
On the other hand, Virat Kohli remains the greatest ever batter of this era across formats. Despite retiring from Tests and T20Is, he continues to play ODI cricket and has been amazing in the 50-over format of the game. He has been leading as scored over 28,000 international runs, making him the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket history behind Sachin Tendulkar.
Will Virat Kohli surpass Sachin Tendulkar?
Virat Kohli has broken several milestones created by his idol, Sachin, and remains No.1 in the most ODI centuries list with 54 centuries in the 50-over format. He surpassed Sachin’s 49 ODI century record in the ODI World Cup 2023 semi-final against New Zealand.
However, Sachin sits at the top in Tests with 51 centuries, with current England Test captain Joe Root having the most centuries (41) among the active cricketers in world cricket at the moment. This showcases the legacy of Sachin, who retired nearly more than a decade ago.
Shoaib Akhtar featured in the 1999 World Cup final, ending up on the runner-up side. Throughout his international career, Akhtar faced India ten times in Tests and 28 times in One Day Internationals. He had some memorable clashes with Tendulkar and played one ODI against Kohli in 2010.
