R Ashwin Rates Sachin Tendulkar Over Virat Kohli

R Ashwin has weighed in on the never-ending debate between two of India’s greatest batters, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. While Ashwin believes players from different generations should not really be compared, he currently rates Tendulkar ahead of Kohli because of the conditions and rules under which he played.

The former India spinner made it clear that his choice should not be seen as an attempt to diminish Kohli’s achievements. Ashwin believes Kohli would have been a champion batter in any generation. However, when the playing conditions of the two eras are considered, he feels Tendulkar faced challenges that modern ODI batters do not experience in quite the same way.

Why R Ashwin Rates Sachin Tendulkar Ahead of Virat Kohli

Ashwin pointed towards the major differences between ODI cricket during Tendulkar’s era and the modern game.

Tendulkar played a large part of his ODI career when only one white ball was used in an innings. As the innings progressed, the ball became older and its behaviour changed. He also played plenty of 50-over matches during the daytime.

Modern ODI cricket, meanwhile, uses two new balls, one from each end. Fielding restrictions have also changed considerably over the years.

These differences are central to Ashwin’s argument.

Speaking on his YouTube show ‘Ash ki Baat’, Ashwin said that he would choose Sachin Tendulkar when asked to compare the two. He also admitted that being a huge Tendulkar fan influences his choice.

More importantly, Ashwin highlighted the circumstances in which Tendulkar produced his performances and the enormous expectations he carried as India’s leading batter.

Ashwin said that it was not Kohli’s fault that he plays in a different era. He added that Kohli batting at No. 3 would have been a champion player in any generation.

Comparing Two Different Eras Is Difficult

Ashwin’s larger point was that a straight statistical comparison between Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli does not tell the complete story.

The game has changed significantly across generations. The number of new balls, fielding restrictions and the way ODI pitches are prepared can all affect batting.

Tendulkar also spent a significant part of his ODI career opening the batting, which meant regularly facing the new ball from the start of an innings.

That is why performances from different generations cannot simply be placed alongside each other without considering the conditions in which those runs were scored.

Ashwin went as far as describing comparisons between players from two generations as something he strongly disagrees with.

Ashwin Has Huge Praise for Virat Kohli Too

Despite putting Tendulkar ahead, Ashwin’s assessment included major praise for Kohli.

Kohli recently smashed an unbeaten 139 off 88 balls against West Indies and, in the process, became only the second player after Tendulkar to cross 15,000 ODI runs. The innings also took Kohli to 86 international centuries.

Ashwin believes there is one achievement that could change how he views the Tendulkar-Kohli comparison.

If Kohli reaches 100 international centuries, Ashwin said it would be a remarkable achievement and he would then put Kohli and Tendulkar on the same level.

For now, though, Ashwin’s choice remains Tendulkar. His reasoning is not based simply on their career numbers but on the different rules, conditions and challenges the two batting greats encountered during their respective eras.