Virat Kohli revealed that he wished he could add Sachin Tendulkar’s smooth lap shot to his game, admitting he struggles with that despite matching the legend in most other areas.
The debate comparing Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar continues across generations. Tendulkar mastered conditions in the 1990s, including handling reverse swing with a single ball. Kohli built his legacy through consistent performances, especially in ODI chases.
Many consider Tendulkar the most complete batter India has produced. Kohli has often acknowledged that stature. Speaking with Royal Challengers Bengaluru before the 19th IPL season, Kohli said he would love to take every element of Tendulkar’s cricketing skillset, reflecting deep admiration for the legend.
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“Everything. One thing that I would like to have is the lap shot. He is the first one who started to lap the spinners so precisely. It was smooth; never looked rushed. I am a mess playing those shots, so yes, the smooth lap,” said Kohli when asked what the one thing would be he could take from Tendulkar.
Virat was asked to pick one quality from different celebrities. 👀
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) February 27, 2026
His answer about Sachin paaji? You’ll want to hear that. 🎥✨
This is Emmvee presents RCB Shorts.#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB pic.twitter.com/jpt1FJrimm
Kohli has also admired qualities from other icons. He revealed that he values MS Dhoni’s calm mindset, Cristiano Ronaldo’s discipline and Lionel Messi’s natural brilliance. Earlier, in a 2017 interview, Kohli had dismissed comparisons with Tendulkar. He described the former captain as the most complete batter and said such parallels remain unfair.
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