Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are widely considered as one of the finest players ever to grace cricket across all formats and their records in the ODI format are particularly enviable.
Tendulkar is the all-time highest runscorer in the 50-over format, amassing more than 18,000 runs in a career that spanned over two decades.
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, is very close to overtaking Sri Lanka Kumar Sangakkara and grab the second spot behind the 'God of Cricket'. Kohli has scored more than 14,000 runs in 302 appearances and has hit 51 centuries, two more than Tendulkar's tally.
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Kohli's 57.88 average is also much higher compared to Tendulkar and Sangakkara, whose averages were in the 40s.
The debate of who is the greatest ODI player between Tendulkar and Kohli has always divided opinions, as experts on both sides have very solid justifications for their respective choices.
While the Tendulkar supporters argue over the legend's longevity in the sport, many feel that Kohli surpassed the legacy, while playing much fewer games and his unbelievable average over 300 matches is enough to consider him the GOAT of the format.
Now, former England pace bowler Steve Harmison has shared his thoughts on which Indian icon he thinks is the greatest cricketer in the ODI format.
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Steve Harmison picks between Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar as the greatest ODI player
Speaking on talkSPORT Cricket(h/t Sportskeeda), Harmison said: "I put Virat Kohli at number one over Sachin Tendulkar, and that would raise a lot of eyebrows. But I thought his career, and what he had to do in his career, was I thought the way the game changed over the course of this last ten years, Virat's had to have deal with a hell of a lot more off the field stuff that would affect him on the field.
I think for me, in the last 20-30 years, the greatest cricketer that has played the game, you take Shane Warne out, because he had come a lot before, I think it's Virat Kohli."
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Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli ODI stats
| Player | Matches | Runs | Avg. | S/R | H.S | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | 463 | 18,426 | 44.83 | 86.23 | 200* | 49 | 96 |
| Virat Kohli | 302 | 14,181 | 57.88 | 93.34 | 183 | 51 | 74 |
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