AB de Villiers makes Sachin Tendulkar-Virat Kohli comparison [Source: AFP]Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers passed an unpopular verdict on legend Sachin Tendulkar, suggesting that the latter was not strong enough compared to modern-day great batter Virat Kohli. This comparison drew a strong reaction from an ex-Indian cricketer.De Villiers has always had a strong bond with Kohli as the duo spent years together playing for RCB in the IPL. Hence, in his assessment, he appeared biased toward his ex-RCB teammate.However, the mention of Tendulkar in the conversation irked a lot of Indian fans.AB de Villiers compares Virat Kohli to Sachin TendulkarSpeaking on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers claimed that Sachin Tendulkar showed Indian batters that they could succeed against difficult bowling.Yet, he was not as strong as Virat Kohli because the latter built on his foundation to promote an aggressive brand of cricket and raise the bar with each passing year."I think of someone like Sachin Tendulkar way back, who started that trend for India. Yet, he wasn’t as strong as someone like Virat Kohli, who was even better. But Sachin was the first guy to show that as a subcontinent batter, you can do well in bouncy and seaming conditions. Virat took that forward and raised the bar,” De Villiers said.ABD believes that it’s because of Kohli that young generation batters like KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal were influenced to carry the mentality forward.“Because of that, there are quite a few players now like [KL] Rahul and [Devdutt] Padikkal, who have started to up that trend and follow in the footsteps of a Virat and a Sachin," he added.Also Read - 5 Sachin Tendulkar records broken by Virat KohliKarnataka cricketer accuses ABD of smoking weedHowever, AB de Villiers’ unpopular comparison drew a strong reaction from the fans on social media. Many accused him of being biased and delusional, suggesting that Sachin Tendulkar will always be the greatest of all time.Interestingly, former Karnataka cricketer Dodda Ganesh added a humorous twist to this whole saga. On X, he posed a comment that said, “Pass on the weed brother.”Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ @doddaganesha Pass on the weed, brother. This phrase is usually used for out-of-context or exaggerated claims. It can also be used when someone says something bizarre, just like in de Villiers’ case.Ganesh wanted to call out ABD’s bizarre comparison between Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, and hence he made the weed reference on social media.Tendulkar vs Kohli: A Different Kind of Legacy Having said that, the debate over Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli is unlikely to end anytime soon. Tendulkar's longevity, record 15921 Test runs and 51 centuries give him an unmatched statistical legacy.On the other hand, Kohli's impact on India's Test culture and overseas performances has made him one of the country's most influential modern batters.Tendulkar proved that Indian batters could dominate overseas. Kohli made that success an expectation. Both batters built their legacies with sheer hard work and determination, and comparing two different generations in sport is not ideal.Also Read - Australia Playing XI vs Bangladesh For 2nd Test Announced; Renshaw Returns, Boland Misses
