Former India player Wasim Jaffer recently commented on the Sachin Tendulkar-Virat Kohli debate. It made headlines after former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers said that Kohli was better than Tendulkar in bouncy and seaming overseas conditions. However, Jaffer said that the weight of expectation that Tendulkar carried was unparalleled. He also added that the Indian batting lineup hinged on him at one point. He again stated that Kohli didn’t carry that kind of pressure, with
players like Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, and KL Rahul around him in the batting lineup as well.

Jaffer said in his latest YouTube video: “The era that Sachin played in and the amount of expectations he carried in his time was unbelievable. He carried the hope of the entire nation, and to live up to that expectation for 24 years is unreal. The whole country has stopped and is praying for you when you’ve gone to bat, and the team’s entire batting depends on you. I don’t think Virat utni expectation unhone carry ki hai (I don’t think Virat has carried such expectation). There were Rohit, Ajinkya, Pujara, and KL Rahul in Virat Kohli’s time.”

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“During Sachin’s time, if we look away from India, Sachin was the only guy. Sourav and Rahul came after some time, and there was Azhar before that. Our overseas record was very poor. Sachin was the only hope, and he looked head and shoulders above everyone else. The burden of expectations that Sachin had to bear throughout his career was unreal,” he added.

Wasim Jaffer stated that India were not considered a fit team in the past, but Virat Kohli changed that and made a significant impact with his fitness, creating a new culture in the team as well.

“Virat took the young generation to a completely different level. I thought he had the biggest impact fitness-wise. Indian team was not considered fit. I think Virat has changed that,” he concluded.