Probable heirs to Sachin Tendulkar's throne

1. Virat Kohli

It is perhaps fair that the most probable heir of Sachin’s legacy comes from the same herd that has been inspired by watching him over many years.

Virat Kohli’s present age is just about the same as the number of years Sachin Tendulkar has been playing the game at the highest level. Sachin’s last World cup in 2011 brought him his first taste of victory, whereas that was the beginning of the journey for Virat Kohli.

The batsman from Delhi shares a lot of the cricketing attributes of his master. He can play every shot in the book, and relies greatly on his wrist-work and timing. Playing at the top of the order for India from a very young age has allowed him a head start that augurs well for him and for India. He is yet to prove himself in the Test match arena in overseas conditions, but he has scored runs abroad.

He averages just below 50.00 in ODIs with 4230 runs in 100 innings to his name. Whereas in the Test arena, he has played 18 matches at an average of 41.00. He is temperamentally a different cricketer who is prone to exhibitions of emotion on the field, but he is just as jovial off it. He has an appetite for runs that matches Sachin, but the his longevity can only be tested with time.