Now Reading: De Villiers clarifies Kohli-Tendulkar remark after backlash
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De Villiers clarifies Kohli-Tendulkar remark after backlash
AB de Villiers has clarified his recent comparison of Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar after it triggered online backlash. The South African great had said Kohli was better than Tendulkar in seam-friendly…
AB de Villiers has clarified his recent comparison of Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar after it triggered online backlash. The South African great had said Kohli was better than Tendulkar in seam-friendly overseas conditions, while crediting Tendulkar with pioneering subcontinental success abroad.
De Villiers said on his YouTube channel that it was simply his opinion, not an attempt to dismiss Tendulkar. He acknowledged Kohli's overseas numbers fall short of Tendulkar's, the former India opener scored 8,705 Test runs away from home, compared to Kohli's 4,774, but argued statistics alone do not define a batter's impact. Tendulkar leads the SENA tour averages at 51.30 to Kohli's 42.08.
De Villiers stressed his assessment was based on Kohli's adaptability, fitness and influence on the next generation, not just runs. The statistical gap remains wide, but the debate over who better handled pace abroad continues.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Kohli-versus-Tendulkar debate has long split Indian cricket fans along generational lines. Tendulkar's 15,921 Test runs, including 8,705 away from home, remain the gold standard. But Kohli's 12 overseas Test centuries in SENA countries, Tendulkar has 17, and his transformation as a fielder and fitness icon changed how Indian cricket youth train. De Villiers, who shared a dressing room with Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore, is only the latest former great to pick sides. The raw comparison by runs alone favours Tendulkar, but the argument over who better counter-attacked pace and bounce abroad will persist in television studios and WhatsApp groups for years.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
