19 October,2011 01:01 PM IST | | PTI
Former South Africa cricketer Jonty Rhodes feels that India's middle-order batsman Virat Kohli has the ability to match the extraordinary feats of iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar to some extent.
"Kohli is only 22 but he has already shown his potential with the bat. He has shown that he can be a superstar," Rhodes told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of his new range of nutritional supplements under ESN (Evolution Sports Nutrition).
"His conversion rate from fifties to hundreds in ODIs is amazing. Once he gets a fifty, he is a difficult batsman to dismiss. With regards to the stats and the number of runs scored, he has shown that he can compete with the records of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar in the long run. "Kohli is expected to play a big role in India's success in the future. He is a fine cricketer and a fine athlete. He is a complete all-rounder," he added.
Kohli has scored 2,496 runs in 66 ODIs at an average of 45.38 with the help of seven centuries and 16 fifties.
The 42-year-old Rhodes also believed that Kohli although does not have an impressive record in Tests, having scored only 76 runs in five innings, had it in him to become a successful player in the longer version of the game too.
"The right-handed batsman has been consistent in IPL, T20s and ODIs because he plays good cricketing shots," said Rhodes. "He plays shots all-round the park. From the team point of view, he has shown maturity. He finishes games for India and does not throw his wicket away. That's what Test cricket is all about," he added.
