New Delhi [India], January 24 (ANI): Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla recalled his conversations with Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, revealing that the 'Master Blaster' had expressed confidence that a young Virat Kohli could one day break his major batting records.

Shukla, who had watched the cricket of two generational talents: Sachin and Virat from close quarters as an administrator in BCCI, spoke to ANI about how he was trying to convince Sachin to go on for a year or two more while he announced his retirement from international cricket in 2013 after a 24-year-long career. He also recalled a conversation with Sachin, during which the batting maestro had expressed confidence that Virat could break his major batting records.

Shukla said that he had tried to persuade Tendulkar to continue playing for another year or two so that he could complete 25 years in international cricket. However, Tendulkar was firm in his decision, stating that he would step away the moment he felt he could no longer give his best to the game.

'God of Cricket (on Sachin Tendulkar). What he has done as a cricketer is very difficult. There are no comparisons. And if he wanted, he could have played for another year or two. I told him to at least complete 25 years and play for another year. He said, 'No. Raju bhai, I feel that I should leave now. He was very honest. 'The day I feel that I cannot give 100 per cent to the game, I will give it up. I will walk away.' That is what he did. He felt that his body could not give 100 per cent. So he left,' Shukla said.

He further added that Tendulkar personally informed him about his retirement decision and remained resolute despite repeated requests to reconsider. 'He called me up, that I am going to announce my retirement. I said, do not do it. Wait for a year. At least make it 25 years in international cricket. It will be a record that you played international cricket for 25 years. He said, no, I think I will quit. And he gave it up,' he added.

Sachin retired in the home series against West Indies, with his final Test taking place where it all had started, at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium in November 2013, scoring 74 in his final Test inning. Not only did he retire as one of cricket's most masterful technicians, but also as a leading run-getter of all time across all formats, with 34,357 runs in 664 matches at an average of 48.52, with 100 centuries, being the only cricketer to have done so and 164 fifties. He also fulfilled his World Cup dream in 2011, defeating Sri Lanka in Mumbai to win the once-elusive title on home soil.

With 15,921 runs in 200 Tests with 51 centuries, he is still the top run-getter and century-maker in Tests. In ODIs, he scored 18,426 runs in 463 appearances with 49 centuries and is still the highest run-getter in the format. In his solitary T20I, he scored 10 runs.

On if the country found a replacement for Sachin in the coming years, Rajeev revealed having a conversation with Sachin over lunch one day, where he asked him who would break his records. Sachin responded that 'records are made to be broken' and picked Virat as a candidate to surpass him.

'One day, I went to his house for lunch, and I asked him, I said, you have so many records, do you think anyone can break them? Then he told me, look, records are made to break. So, my record was broken. So I said, 'What do you think? Who can break your record?' So, he said, I think Virat Kohli can break my records,' he recalled.

To a very good extent, Sachin's prophecy came true: with the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup still on his mind, Virat has broken several records established by Sachin across Test and ODI cricket, or at least offered him very tough competition.

With 28,215 runs in 559 international appearances and 85 centuries, Virat is just below Sachin in terms of runs and centuries in all-time charts. Currently, as an ODI-exclusive player, he is chasing Sachin's 100-century record and is 15 centuries away from reaching 100 centuries and 16 hundreds away from surpassing Sachin.

With 54 ODI centuries, Virat went past Sachin's count of 51 ODI tons for the most tons by a batter in a single format and also owns the record for most ODI centuries. During the 2023 World Cup, he scored a whopping 765 runs in 11 matches at an average of over 95, three centuries and six fifties, outdoing Sachin's 673-run campaign in 2003 to have the best World Cup campaign by a batter.

While Virat faced a slump in Tests in the 2020s and ended with scoring just 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85 with 30 centuries, instead of crossing the 10,000-11,000 run mark at least, the way it looked like in the late 2010s, he has surpassed Sachin in the white-ball format statistically.

With 14,797 runs in 311 ODIs at an average of 58.71, including 54 centuries and 77 fifties, a World Cup and two Champions Trophy titles and a 50-over World Cup 'Player of the Tournament' award to his name, Virat has carved an identity as the undisputed GOAT (Greatest of All Time) in ODIs. Adding to this, his 4,188 runs in 125 T20Is at an average of 48.69, including a century and 38 fifties, give him a total of 18,985 runs and 55 centuries in international limited-overs cricket, the most by any batter. His T20I resume also includes the 2024 T20 WC, two 'Player of the Tournament' awards in the 2014 and 2016 editions of the T20 World Cup, with his 2014 tally of 319 runs yet to be broken. With such massive numbers in limited-overs cricket for India, he has made a case for himself as the greatest limited-overs cricketer as well.

He is the only cricketer with 1,000-plus runs in ICC events knockout matches and also has the most runs by a batter in ICC white-ball tournaments, with 3,834 runs in 90 matches and 87 innings at an average of 61.83, with six centuries and 33 fifties. (ANI)