Virat Kohli has a long way to go to get close to Tendulkar: Michael Holding

Legendary fast bowler Michael Holding on Wednesday praised the Indian captain Virat Kohli, as the batsman registered his 30th ODI hundred in just 194 ODIs. Kohli has scored 8587 runs at an average of 55.75. He led the Indian team to a clean sweep in all the three formats of the game. The right-handed batsman finished the tour on a high, after scoring a 54-ball 82 in the one-off T20I match.

On the comparison between Kohli and legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Holding said that the 28-year-old has a long way to go in international cricket. Sachin Tendulkar has scored 100 centuries in international cricket, out of which 49 were registered in the One Day Internationals.

On Kohli being compared to Sachin Tendulkar

“There is a long long way to go (before he gets close to Tendulkar’s record) but he is certainly a great batsman,” said Holding. Asked if Kohli is a better batsman compared to Tendulkar or vice-versa, the Jamaican added: “Well, I don’t like comparisons,” he added.

The former West Indies fast bowler said time will only tell if the current Indian team can register similar results overseas. The team has tough tours of England and South Africa lined-up next year.

“I don’t know. They have to do it to prove it. The proof of the cake is in the eating. So we will just have to wait and see what they do (outside the sub-continent). You can’t predict these things,” Holding said.

Kohli is currently the top batsman in the ICC ODI rankings. He has also equalled Tendulkar’s record of highest rating points ever picked by an Indian. Tendulkar recorded the highest rating points in ODIs in the year 1998. Kohli is also the top ranked batsman in T20I rankings. The 30th hundred has put him at par with Australian legend Ricky Ponting and is only behind one man now in the list of players with most ODI tons.