"Very much comparable to what Novak Djokovic has done" - Dinesh Karthik on Virat Kohli's achievements

Dinesh Karthik reckons that Team India's star batter Virat Kohli's incredible achievements can be compared to those of legendary tennis player Novak Djokovic.

Karthik pointed out that when Djokovic started his career, established names like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal dominated the scene. Karthik opined that Kohli also had a similar story.

The cricketer-commentator claimed that both Djokovic and Kohli have been able to carve a niche for themselves, with their staggering numbers being a testament to it. Karthik made these remarks after the former India captain crossed 13,000 runs in ODI cricket.

Kohli achieved the feat during India's Super 4's clash against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2023 on Monday (September 11). The right-handed batter became the fastest-ever to reach 13,000 runs in the format, crossing the mark in just 267 innings.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik explained:

"To get it in 267 innings is unreal. It is very much comparable to what Novak Djokovic has done because when he started his career, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were flying, and they reached a point where they said no man in the open era can reach what they have done."

He added:

"But Djokovic has come and said, 'I am going to change everything about that.'. He has gone on to achieve more than them in terms of numbers. What this man has achieved in 267 innings is come close to some of the greats who have played the game, and we are adding up all the formats."

Kohli shone with the bat in the crucial tie against Pakistan, remaining unbeaten on 122 as he notched up his 47th ODI century. India secured a mammoth 228-run win over their arch-rivals, defending a 357-run target.

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"He has played far lesser innings than Sachin Tendulkar" - Dinesh Karthik on Virat Kohli reaching past 13,000 ODI runs

Dinesh Karthik pointed out that Virat Kohli has played all three formats consistently. He noted that the batter has performed admirably even in T20 cricket, which is a challenging task.

Karthik mentioned that the 34-year-old was able to score 13,000 ODI runs in just 267 innings, significantly less than Sachin Tendulkar, who did it in 321 innings. He said:

"To score runs in T20 cricket is not easy. First of all, you won't get the volume. The number of balls and number of runs you could score obviously reduces a lot. But in spite all of that, for him to come about and do that in 267 innings, hats off to the man. You can say maybe he will fall short just because of the amount of cricket he is playing; he might not end up getting there. He has played far lesser innings than Sachin Tendulkar, and that will be the greatness of Virat Kohli."

Virat Kohli will next be seen in action when India take on Sri Lanka in match number four of the Super 4's at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday, September 12.