Who is the GOAT? Virat Kohli or Sachin Tendulkar?

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Greatest of all time

It is no secret that Sachin Tendulkar is considered as the God of cricket especially in India and is considered as one of the greatest of all times in the entire Cricketing fraternity. There is no harm in also saying that Virat Kohli is fast emerging as one of his successors and is often compared to the legend himself.

So in this slideshow, let us compare these two legends based on some attributes.


#1 Generation in which they played the Game

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During his young playing days

The game of Cricket changes drastically from one generation to the other and there is no doubt that it will further evolve in the years to come.

So, based on this comparison, Sachin played the game in the time where there were no power plays, no fielding restrictions, and the sport was more suited to the bowlers. The bowling attacks that he faced was much more potent than what is now.

With no second thoughts, we can say that Kohli is the best in this generation as Tendulkar was on his but for the challenging times.

Sachin 1: Virat 0


#2 Leadership

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Virat is an aggressive captain

Leadership is not just about leading from the front by scoring runs or taking wickets but also the ability to inspire the entire team.

Virat, as a captain, usually brings the best out of his team showing positive energy in the field. Like Kohli, Sachin too scored runs heavily during his captaincy tenure but unlike the former, he was not able to give inspiration to his team which was reflected in India's poor results when he was the captain.

Sachin 1: Virat 1


#3 Workload

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He has been continuously playing for some time now

It is known that Virat is the most over-worked cricketer in the world. In this era, there are three formats (Test, ODI, and T20's) of the game and Kolhi is the master in each of those. So naturally, he has been carrying a fair share of the workload in order to achieve it.

He regularly turns up for his team be it the IPL or for India whereas when Sachin was around, he played only the Test and the ODI formats. So the wear and tear are much more in the case of Kohli than in Sachin.

Sachin 1: Kohli 2

# 4 Responsibility on his shoulders

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There was a time when Sachin was the only saving grace

Before the emergence of the Fab 4 of Indian Cricket, Sachin used to be a pillar for the team. There was a relief in the opposition camp when Sachin got out. Not to say that others didn't perform but the bowling attack was not that good as it is today in India. So, he had to score more percentage of runs for his team than any other player.

Virat, on the other hand, is blessed with a solid bowling line-up which can run through the best of the sides and have some great batsmen.

Sachin 2: Virat 2


# 5 All-rounder

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He was more than a Batsman- An impact player

Sachin Tendulkar was more than handy with the ball. He had a magical legspinner on his day that would have made even Shane Warne proud. He could bowl off-spin, leg spin, or medium fast with ease taking 201 wickets in the process.

He was mainly used as a partnership breaker and a game changer in his initial playing days. But due to injuries, he shifted his only to batting while his bowling was limited. Virat Kohli doesn't bowl in any form of cricket except for few instances.

Sachin 3: Virat 2


#6 Finishing Matches

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There is no better player in run chases than this man

Though, both of them have scored runs heavily while chasing Kohli has finished the matches many times than Sachin. He always takes the game till the end like Dhoni.

Over the years, Kohli has mastered the art of run chasing and knows when to attack or defend or to cut loose. So this could very well go to Virat Kohli.

Sachin 3: Kohli 3


These two legends have many facets of the game which make them better over the other. But one can't argue based on this notion alone. We don't for sure know how they would have fared when they had played in each other's era.

It is safe to admit that both have inspired millions of people to take up the game. Even Kohli has said on multiple occasions that his role model was Sachin growing up.

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Edited by Vignesh Ananthasubramanian