'He can definitely knock it off' - Brett Lee backs Virat Kohli to break Sachin Tendulkar's record

Since the time, Sachin Tendulkar retired from international cricket, there has been so much talk about his record. The man has scored more than 34,000 runs and 100 centuries at the highest level. If someone who has been thought of breaking these records is none other than the Indian captain, Virat Kohli. The 31-year-old batsman has close to 22,000 international runs and 70 centuries.

Former Australian pacer Brett Lee recently gave his opinion on this question. The retired pacer said there are chances that Kohli could, in fact, cross Tendulkar’s numbers. Lee said that Kohli’s numbers are too good and if he plays seven or eight years of cricket from now, then he will surely get to the Tendulkar’s record.

Brett Lee lauds Virat Kohli’s physical and mental fitness

“We are talking about phenomenal numbers here, so you mentioned seven to eight years of cricket and at the rate he (Virat Kohli) is going, yes, he can definitely knock it off,” Brett Lee said on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected show.

Lee also named three factors that will help Kohli to get to that feat. According to Lee, a player needs three things, talent, fitness and mental strength. The Aussie pacer said Kohli’s definitely got the talent. He also said that the Indian skipper has the fitness and at his age, it becomes more important. Lee also talked about mental capacity and the fact that a player needs to spend a lot of time away from home.

“It comes down to three things, there is one thing I would like to eliminate – so, you talk about talent as a batsman, he’s definitely got that talent, eliminate that first and foremost. Then fitness – Virat Kohli has got that fitness, so for me, it is all about fitness at the age of 30 and also that mental strength, the mental capacity to get through those hard times, being away from home, from his wife, or when they will have children,” Lee said.

The former pacer then went on say that if Kohli can keep himself fit enough and keep his mental strength up, then he will surely go past Tendulkar’s record.

“He will do it easily with his talent, it comes down to his mental strength and if he stays fit enough and I believe he has got all those three components to go past Sachin,” Brett Lee added. “But, how can you say someone can go past Sachin Tendulkar- this is God here, can someone go better than God, we will wait and see.”