Sachin Tendulkar wishes legend-in-the making Virat Kohli on his birthday

The cricketing fraternity celebrates the birthday of its latest virtuoso Virat Kohli on November 5, as the Indian captain turns 30. Kohli is currently hailed as the most complete batsman in world cricket, and has also drawn parallels with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Sir Don Bradman. These comparisons are not baseless though, as he has been on a run-scoring spree of late, and has seemingly made a mockery of some near-impossible batting records held by the greats of the game.

A rather chubby Virat Kohli shot to fame when he led India U19 to a World Cup victory in Malaysia, exactly a year after underdogs India had triumphed in the inaugural edition of the World T20. This signalled two important moments in Indian cricket – MS Dhoni‘s reign as captain and Virat Kohli’s rise to batting stardom. That same year, the youngster made his international debut, and within no time made his presence felt in the Indian side in all formats of the game. What ensued was a career headlined by an abundance of runs, myriad records and an unbridled passion for the game.

The Sachin vs Virat comparison

Virat Kohli is currently at the forefront of the Indian Cricket Team in all three formats of the game, and enjoys a fabulous record as captain. His hallmark though is orchestrating the most perfectly paced chases, which has led to him being dubbed the ‘Chase-Master’. Meanwhile, his tendency of scoring runs aplenty every time he goes into bat has led to countless comparisons with the great Sachin Tendulkar.

Kohli recently went past his record of the fastest man to reach 10,000 ODI runs, getting to the five-figure mark in a mere 205 innings, 54 fewer than Tendulkar. He also became the first Indian cricketer to score 3 consecutive ODI centuries during the recently-concluded series against the Windies.

When India lifted the 2011 World Cup on home soil, Virat said something which will be etched in every Indian cricket fan’s memories. It was Sachin’s final chance to lift the coveted trophy, and to do it in front of his home crowd in Mumbai was a dream come true. During the celebrations after the match, Sachin was hoisted on the shoulders of the Indian team members, following which Virat said, “He carried the burden of the nation for 21 years, so it is time we carried him on our shoulders.”

Sachin Tendulkar took time off to wish the champion on his 30th birthday with a lovely message which read, “Wishing you a lot of success and happiness in the year ahead. Happy Birthday, @imVkohli!”

Wishing you a lot of success and happiness in the year ahead. Happy Birthday, @imvkohli! pic.twitter.com/HcXX88rXJn

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) November 5, 2018

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