Tendulkar reacts on comparisons with Kohli

Sachin, who called Virat one of the greatest said that he “never believed" in comparisons. Each generation, from the time cricket was played from day one to now, the change has been constant

Indian captain Virat Kohli recent development as a player, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s records one after the other that once looked unsurpassable has astonished the icon himself. However, the 45–year-old legend, who called Virat one of the greatest said that he “never believed" in comparisons.

Recently, Captain Kohli became the fastest batsman on the planet to get 10,000 runs in ODI cricket. After 10-years of dedication towards the sport, the Indian skipper surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s 17-year-old long-standing record and set a new benchmark in the international cricket.

He is also inching towards Tendulkar's record for highest number of ODI hundreds (49), having notched his 38th ton in Pune in the third game against West Indies.

"Coming to Virat's development as a player, I think he has developed immensely. And I always saw that spark in him. I always felt that he is going to be one of the leading players in the world, not just of this generation, but one of the leading players of all time," Tendulkar told reporters here.

"And then it is again about opinions. But if one has to go into comparisons, then I don't want to get into that. There were different bowlers who played in 60s, 70s, 80s, and possibly in my time and what they are playing today. So I wouldn't want to get into that," he said.

Tendulkar categorically stressed that he did not believe in comparisons.

"I think first of all, like how Virat has said and I have been saying for 24 years that I have played. I have never believed in comparison. Each generation if you take from the time cricket was played from day one to now, the change has been constant.

"Then each generation played differently, there were different rules, there were different restrictions, there were different surfaces, there were different balls also at times. So lot of things, boundary lines if you see earlier, I have played where the ball had to hit the concrete in Australia, things have changed over the years. I personally don't feel one should be comparing different generations," he said.

"But within that generation also I personally believe there should not be any comparison, because every individual whatever he or she does needs to be respected and judge by itself, it doesn't have to be always judged by comparing someone and I don't believe in that (comparisons)," Tendulkar noted.

Tendulkar praised teenage prodigy Prithvi Shaw, terming the right-handed batsman a fast-leaner.

"I think I can talk about Prithvi. I have never given my opinion on selection whether who should be picked and who should be dropped. And I would like to maintain it that way, because that is like influencing the selectors to do something. But just if I have to look at Prithvi as a player, he's progressed tremendously.