Who Is The New God Of Cricket After Sachin Tendulkar?

Cricket is one of the most popular games in India, to Indians cricket is not only a game but an emotion. Billions of people all over the country passionately follow the game. The players receive immense love and respect from the spectators. There are some outstanding players in the Indian cricket team who win hearts with their fantastic performances on the field. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is hailed as the God of Cricket in India for his record-breaking career. But do you know who has been termed the new God of Cricket?

Tendulkar is no doubt the greatest cricketer that the world and his consistency over his playing career is appreciable. The title ‘The God of Cricket’ for him by the Indians fits perfectly.

Here are some unique records that made Sachin Tendulkar the God of Cricket

• Sachin Tendulkar scored a total of 34357 runs in all format tests and played over 450 ODIs and 200 Tests.
• He has played the most number of Test matches in cricket history.
• Sachin Tendulkar has played the most number of ODI matches- 463 matches, scored the most ODI runs- 18,426, and most ODI centuries- 49 in cricket history.
• Sachin has scored the most runs- 15,921, and centuries- 51 in the Test format.

• Tendulkar is the only cricketer to score 100 centuries in international cricket.
• He is the only cricketer to score 5 Test 100s in international cricket before turning 20.
• He has the record for the longest ODI career at 22 years and 91 days.
• During the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, he made 673 runs in 11 matches which is the maximum any player has scored in a single World Cup edition.
• Sachin has the record for most ODI runs scored by an individual batter in a calendar year- 1894 runs in the year 1998.

However, after Sachin’s retirement, the fans have started searching for a player to be hailed as the Can there. In this article, we will be talking about the potential options who can be regarded as the new god of the cricket world.

Among the cricketers who the fans are calling the new God of Cricket are MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, etc.

Who is the new God of Cricket?

Virat Kohli

If we take into account the records, consistency, and influence of any cricketer after Sachin, Virat Kohli seems closest to the title of the new God of Cricket in all formats. The former Team India cricket team captain Virat Kohli has come to be known as the new God and has emerged as the contender for the title. After making his international debut in 2008, his remarkable victories in the sport made him popular among cricket lovers.

Kohli revealed that he always looked up to Tendulkar while growing up. Virat as a batsman has reached some incredible heights in his career. Kohli made it evident in the U19 World Cup 2008 that he has the potential to become something big. Virat attracted fans and media like no other player.

After the U19 World Cup, in August 2008, Kohli featured in the ODI internationals for the first time. Even though he struggled on a few occasions as a youngster, Kohli soon made his reputation by flashing his brilliant form on the field.

Virat Kohli’s India debut in 2008-2014

• Virat Kohli guided his team to the 2008 under-19 World Cup glory after making his international debut in August 2008 against Sri Lanka with the under-19 side.
• The right-handed batter after his initial struggles registered his first international century in 2009 against the Lankans.
• In 2010, Virat was India’s leading run-getter in ODIs with 995 runs from 25 matches at an average of 47.38. This can be called his breakthrough year as he scored three centuries and seven fifties and made it to the 15-man squad for the ICC World Cup in 2011.
• Every year from 2010 to 2016, surprisingly, Virat Kohli finished as the leading run-scorer in ODIs for Team India.
• Virat Kohli became an important part of the Indian team and eventually in 2014 took over the Test captaincy from MS Dhoni.

Virat Kohli as captain during 2014-2022

When it came to filling MS Dhoni’s shoes as the Indian team’s captain, Virat Kohli did it perfectly. He performed his duties with immense success which is not everyone’s cup of tea, he again proved himself worthy of the title, of the new God of Cricket.

• In his Test captaincy debut, Kohli became the fourth Indian to score a hundred. He registered the century in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in December 2014.
• During Virat’s captaincy, the Indian team played 68 Test matches between 2014 and 2022, winning 40 and losing just 17.
• Under Virat Kohli, in limited-overs matches, the Indian cricket team became one of the most feared opponents to play against.
• India dominated world cricket under Kohli. India had 30 wins in 50 T20Is and 65 wins in 95 ODIs.
• Besides becoming the leading run-scorer in T20 internationals, Kohli became the fastest Indian to reach 1000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000, and 10,000 runs in ODIs. He also had the best average in T20Is.

Post-captaincy- 2022-present

• In January 2022, Virat Kohli marked the end of a glorious eight-year tenure as Indian team captain. He renounced captaincy from all formats of cricket in 2022.
• Kohli couldn’t maintain his usual high standards but he did finish as the leading run-getter in the T20 World Cup 2022, scoring 296 runs in six matches with an average of 98.66.
• The fan-favorite new God of Cricket, Kohli has scored 70 International centuries in 13 years.
• Virat is the only player in the world with an average above 50 in all three formats. Among batters with over 12000 runs to his name, the Indian captain is currently ranked second in the ICC Men’s ODI rankings  He has scored 43 ODI hundreds with an average nearing 60 in this period.

Is Kohli suitable to become the new God of Cricket by replacing Sachin Tendulkar?

On January 10, former captain of the Indian cricket team Virat Kohli equaled master blaster Sachin Tendulkar’s record of slamming 20 One Day International centuries on the home soil. In the first ODI of the three-match series, Kohli scored 113 runs off 87 balls against Sri Lanka.

Kohli took only 99 innings to score his 20th ODI hundred on home soil, whereas Tendulkar did so in 160 innings. Kohli now has 73 centuries to his credit across all formats, ranking second to Tendulkar’s 100 centuries. Virat has scored 45 ODI centuries, 27 test tons, and one T20 hundred so far.

Kohli has also surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most ODI hundreds against Sri Lanka. Tendulkar has eight centuries against Sri Lanka compared to Virat who has now nine.

At an average of just over 57 per match, Kohli is getting close to the 18,426 runs hit by Tendulkar. In test matches, Tendulkar’s 15,000 runs remain the benchmark. Virat already matched the records set by one of the greatest batsmen in the world, Ricky Ponting. But he has to give his best to be the new God of Cricket in world.

Looking at Virat’s overall tally, he is arguably the best fit for the title.

Rohit Sharma

After Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement, there are very few people who can only envision who would be able to carry the title of God of Cricket. But, Rohit Sharma is a player who is next in line to be named the new god. He is an immensely popular prolific run-scorer in all formats of the game.

Let us discuss why Rohit Sharma can be the new God of Cricket

Among the most exceptional and talented cricketers of all time like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma made his path with his consistency, hard work, and unparalleled performances. Here are some records that make Rohit Sharma the second God of Cricket,

• Rohit Sharma is the only player to have scored a double century more than once (3) in ODIs.

• Sharma has also scored the most number of T20I centuries- 4 (the new God of Cricket in T20).
• In 2013, he recorded the most sixes hit in a single ODI innings by a player. He set a new benchmark by hitting 16 sixes in his innings of 209 runs against Australia.
• After Suresh Raina, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli, Rohit is the second Indian to score a century in all formats of international cricket.
• Rohit has a record for the highest individual score in ODIs which is a mind-boggling 264 runs.
• Sharma’s count of ODI centuries currently stands at 30. It is the second-highest among all the current players.

• In his ODI career, Rohit has hit 273 sixes which is the highest among all the current players and third-highest overall which makes him suitable for the title of the new God of Cricket in ODI.
• He became the first batsman to score 5 centuries in one World Cup In the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
• Rohit Sharma holds the world record for scoring the joint-fastest century off 35 balls in a T20I.
• In T20 Internationals, Rohit Sharma holds the world record for hitting the most number of sixes (182).
• In T20 internationals, Rohit Sharma sits at the top of the list of batsmen with the most runs. Rohit Sharma has scored 3313 runs in 125 T20Is with four centuries and 26 half-centuries since his T20I debut in 2007. Cricketers Virat Kohli, Eoin Morgan Babar Azam, and Brendon McCullum are all under him.

Who do you think is more suitable to be named the new God of Cricket? Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma?

Let us know in the comments.

Also read: This Difference Between Sachin Tendulkar And Virat Kolhi Will Silence All Who Compare Them