Kohli has it all to emulate Tendulkar: Hussey

Bengaluru, May 19 (IANS) Former Australia batsman Michael Hussey believes that Indian run-machine Virat Kohli’s recent form has put him on track to equal or even exceed the feats of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.

The 27-year-old Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Kohli, has set a new record for the most runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Kohli's 2016 tally of 865 runs -- boosted by four hundreds and five fifties in his 13 innings -- surpasses the 733 amassed by his Bangalore team-mate Chris Gayle in 2012 and Hussey in 2013.

Before the IPL the Delhi-born also won the Man of the Tournament award in the World Twenty20 tournament after an impressive run with the willow.

"One of Tendulkar's greatest strengths was his longevity and if Kohli can stay fit, he could be well on his way to emulate Tendulkar as a player," Hussey was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au on Thursday.

Kohli’s idol Tendulkar has scored 18,426 runs and 49 hundreds in his 463 One-Day-Internationals and 15,921 runs with 51 centuries in 200 Test matches.

Kohli has notched up 7,212 runs and 25 centuries in his 171 ODI games and 2,994 runs and 11 hundreds in 41 Tests till date.

"He (Kohli) has evolved into an amazing player," added Hussey, who said AB de Villiers and Steve Smith were his contemporaries.

"These three are all probably at a stage now where they know their game inside and out and they stick to it as it has given them so much success over the years. I simply love watching them bat," the left-handed batsman added.