From Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli, The Fire Keeps Burning | Opinion

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Cricket fans are blessed to see both the 'Guru and Shishya' play competitive cricket, in the T20 format and the ODIs. For those fans who swore cricket viewing had ended the day Sachin Tendulkar had retired in November 2013, his batting class in the IML T20, a Masters event, on Tuesday (February 25) night, was still a delight to watch.

Well over 51 years of age, Sachin enthralled folks with shots of yore, cutting, driving and pulling with the same delight. The aggression on the leg side is intact. What he has shown is, despite age, the passion to play cricket, still rock the fans and make them happy has not diminished.

So, what, if this is a senior's event, the fact Sachin still looks so trim and is competitive, shows age is just a number. Sachin is not going to do this daily, of course. He has so many more roles to play in public life. These kind of guest appearances, where he recreates old magic will suffice.

If Sachin has brought joy, what does one say of Virat Kohli, whose master class against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy on Sunday (February 23) is still being discussed.

Everyone has his take on Virat Kohli, from his first coach Raj Kumar Sharma to former legends of the game. Some have gone to the extreme extent of saying Kohli looks even better than Tendulkar and his 14k runs in ODIs are better. This is where all problems begin.

Comparisons being made just for the heck of it. They are unnecessary. In fact, it is futile. What Sachin Tendukar did in his long career in Tests and ODI should not be compared with anyone, Kohli included. Just celebrate those moment he produced and remember he was the King during his reign.

Kohli is still in play, though he has said at 36 it is not easy. Every cricket fan across various global time zones watched Kohli craft that century. He took his time, dug himself in, showed concentration so fierce, nothing could shake him.

The Dubai stadium was packed like a sardine tin as India crushed Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. There were two chases on, an Indian win and Kohli getting to his century. Nobody can point a finger at Kohli and say he was batting for himself. He was 'chasing' the runs for India. That the century also happened was just a statistical bit.

For all those who are even today praising Kohi sky high, they are the ones who were lambasting him, tearing him apart, shredding him. Sadly, the critics are shameless, not that Kohli minds it. He has concentrated, batted in practice sessions longer than anyone else, as pointed out by Shreyas Iyer.

Fact remains, Kohli is not here to prove anything to anyone. He has carping critics in India as people hate him. It's a pathological hatred, a sick mindset and wanting to put out anything on YouTube and other social media platforms.

Kohli is in penance, he is trying hard. And he has also said that at 36, two days rest does him good. That was the most honest statement of putting in a 100 per cent, despite the ageing body. People can write reams on what he eats from chill paneer tikka to more.

Don't forget Kohli is a spiritual man in a state of Nirvana, He and wife Anushka Sharma have embraced spirituality big time. Some suggest, Kohli has turned vegetarian as well.

The King of ODIs owes no explanation to anyone. He perhaps makes more girls swoon even today in Pakistan than in India. That was evident from the images seen on television in India and social media on Sunday. So, enjoy the show, be it SRT producing classic shots from the past or Kohli crafting a match-winning knock. Most important, he singularly destroys Pakistan with panache.