Now Reading: AB de Villiers picks Virat Kohli over Sachin Tendulkar in overseas Tests
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AB de Villiers picks Virat Kohli over Sachin Tendulkar in overseas Tests
AB de Villiers has rated Virat Kohli better than Sachin Tendulkar in overseas Test conditions, sparking debate. Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers said Tendulkar was the trendsetter who showed subcontinent…
AB de Villiers has rated Virat Kohli better than Sachin Tendulkar in overseas Test conditions, sparking debate. Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers said Tendulkar was the trendsetter who showed subcontinent batters could succeed in bouncy and seaming conditions, but Kohli raised the bar and took that belief to another level. Times Now reports that de Villiers praised Kohli's impact on India's transformation into a dominant side away from home, adding that both players have influenced the current crop of Indian batters like Devdutt Padikkal and KL Rahul.
The comparison drew a sharp response from former India fast bowler Dodda Ganesh, who replied to de Villiers on X saying, 'Pass on the weed, brother,' according to m9.news. The outlet notes that Tendulkar's overseas Test numbers remain strong, with 8,705 runs at an average of 54.7 and 29 centuries in 106 Tests, while Kohli has 4,894 runs at an average of 41.51 in 68 overseas Tests. Times Now cites slightly different figures, with Tendulkar scoring 5,387 runs in SENA countries at an average of 51.30 and Kohli 3,661 runs at 42.08.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Times Now's framing is straight sports reporting, leading with de Villiers' praise and Kohli's impact, while m9.news frames the story as a controversy triggered by Dodda Ganesh's dig, adding drama with 'brutal dig' in its headline. m9.news omits de Villiers' broader context about Kohli's influence on younger players and instead highlights the statistical rebuttal, leaning sensationalist by prioritising the clash of opinions over the substance of de Villiers' full argument. A measured reading acknowledges that de Villiers made a subjective assessment of impact, not raw numbers, while Tendulkar's statistical edge in overseas averages is clear. What to watch: how Kohli performs in the upcoming away series to sustain the comparison.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (2): timesnownews.com (neutral report), m9.news (sensationalist)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
