BCCI VP Rajeev Shukla recalls Sachin Tendulkar’s prediction on Virat Kohli, ‘He can break…’

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla recalled his conversations with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, revealing that the ‘Master Blaster’ had expressed confidence that Virat Kohli could one day surpass his major batting records.

Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rajeev Shukla, Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar — BCCI VP Rajeev Shukla recalls Sachin Tendulkar’s prediction on Virat Kohli

New Delhi: BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla recalled his conversations with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, revealing that the ‘Master Blaster’ had expressed confidence that Virat Kohli could one day surpass his major batting records. Having closely observed the careers of both Sachin and Virat as an administrator, Shukla told ANI how he had tried to persuade Tendulkar to extend his international career by a year or two before retiring in 2013, after an illustrious 24-year journey.

Shukla revealed that he had urged Tendulkar to play for another year or two to mark 25 years in international cricket. However, Tendulkar remained firm in his stance, insisting that he would retire the moment he felt he could no longer give his best to the game.

“God of Cricket (on Sachin Tendulkar). What he has done as a cricketer is very difficult. There are no comparisons. And if he wanted, he could have played for another year or two. I told him to at least complete 25 years and play for another year. He said, ‘No. Raju bhai, I feel that I should leave now. He was very honest. ‘The day I feel that I cannot give 100 per cent to the game, I will give it up. I will walk away.’ That is what he did. He felt that his body could not give 100 per cent. So he left,” Shukla said.

Shukla revealed that Tendulkar personally informed him of his decision to retire

Shukla further said that Tendulkar personally informed him of his decision to retire. “He called me up, that I am going to announce my retirement. I said, do not do it. Wait for a year. At least make it 25 years in international cricket. It will be a record that you played international cricket for 25 years. He said, no, I think I will quit. And he gave it up,” he added.

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Sachin Tendulkar announced his retirement during the home series against the West Indies, playing his final Test at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium in November 2013, the same venue where he started his illustrious career. He concluded his career not only as one of cricket’s finest batters but also as one of the greatest run-scorers across all formats. He amassed a total of 34,357 runs in 664 matches at an average of 48.52, which includes a record 100 centuries and 164 fifties. Tendulkar also fulfilled his long-cherished dream of winning a World Cup in 2011, leading India to victory over Sri Lanka on home soil.

Tendulkar remains the leading run-scorer and century scorer in Test cricket, having amassed 15,921 runs in 200 matches, smashing 51 centuries. In ODIs, he scored 18,426 runs across 463 games with 49 centuries, maintaining his status as the highest run-getter in the format. In his lone T20 International appearance, he scored 10 runs.

Sachin Tendulkar predicted Virat Kohli could break his records

When asked whether India had found a successor to Sachin in the years that followed, Rajeev Shukla recalled a lunch conversation with the cricket legend. He asked Sachin who he thought could break his records, to which the Master Blaster replied, “records are made to be broken,” and named Virat Kohli as the one with the potential to surpass him.

“One day, I went to his house for lunch, and I asked him, I said, you have so many records, do you think anyone can break them? Then he told me, look, records are made to break. So, my record was broken. So I said, ‘What do you think? Who can break your record?’ So, he said, I think Virat Kohli can break my records,” he recalled.

Virat Kohli has scored a total of 28,215 runs in 559 international matches, which includes 85 centuries. He is just behind Sachin Tendulkar on the all-time runs and centuries charts. Kohli is chasing Sachin’s record of 100 international centuries, currently needing 15 more to reach the milestone and 16 to surpass Tendulkar.

Kohli has already surpassed Sachin with 54 centuries in ODIs

Virat has already surpassed Sachin with 54 centuries in ODIs, the most by any batter in a single format. During the 2023 World Cup, he amassed a total of 765 runs in 11 matches at an average exceeding 95, which featured three brilliant centuries and six fifties, surpassing Sachin’s 673-run tally in 2003 to record the best World Cup campaign by a batter.

Although Virat faced a dip in Test cricket during the 2020s, finishing with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, which features 30 centuries.

Virat Kohli has firmly established himself as the undisputed GOAT in ODI cricket, with 14,79 7 runs in 311 ODIs at an average of 58.71, including 54 centuries and 77 fifties, along with a World Cup, two Champions Trophy titles, and a 50-over World Cup ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.

In T20Is, he has scored a total of 4,188 runs in 125 matches at an average of 48.69, including a century and 38 fifties, bringing his total in international limited-overs cricket to 18,985 runs and 55 centuries, the most by any batter. His T20I achievements also include the 2024 T20 World Cup and two ‘Player of the Tournament’ awards in the 2014 and 2016 editions, with his 2014 tally of 319 runs still standing as a record.

Kohli is also the only player to score over 1,000 runs in ICC tournament knockout matches. He holds the record for the most runs by a batter in ICC white-ball events, accumulating 3,834 runs in 90 matches and 87 innings at an average of 61.83, including six centuries and 33 fifties.

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