Kohli has potential to match Tendulkar: England's Cork

Former England pacer Dominic Cork believes that Indian run-machine Virat Kohli has the potential to be as successful as batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.

Cork made the bold statement on Tuesday after watching the 27-year-old Royal Challengers Bangalore captain set a new record for the most runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Kohli's 2016 tally of 752 runs -- boosted by three hundreds and five fifties in his 12 innings -- surpasses the 733 amassed by his Bangalore teammate Chris Gayle in 2012 and Mike Hussey in 2013.

Kohli before the IPL also won the Man of the Tournament award in the World Twenty20 tournament after an impressive run with the willow.

"It's a big statement to say someone could be as successful as Tendulkar but at the moment Kohli is making every bowler look easy to play against," Cork was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

"Who knows? In 10 years' time we could be standing here and saying he is better than Sachin," the 44-year-old, who took 172 wickets in Tests and ODIs for England, said.

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 7,212 runs and 25 tons in his 171 ODI games and 2,994 runs and 11 centuries in 41 Tests till date.

--IANS

ac/pur/vt