He's 23 years old and has many laurels to him name already. Virat Kohli is being called the world's best ODI batsman. Not without good reason.

Kohli, India's ODI team vice captain, is already being compared to cricket legends like Brian Lara, Viv Richards, Ricky Ponting and even Sachin Tendulakar. Not that he's already achieved what these men did in their careers, but he seems to be getting there with such speed that at this rate, he's bound to match, if not emulate them.

A look at his recent achievements might explain this euphoria: 11 centuries in 85 one-day internationals; at 1000 runs he was the world's highest ODI scorer for 2011; ODI average of 73 with a strike rate of 97. These are staggering numbers.

On Sunday, the invincible Kohli did something else to gain several inches in the hearts of Indians. He smashed 183 off 148 balls in the ODI against Pakistan in the ongoing Asia-Cup. India won that match chasing a seemingly insurmountable total of 330, and they did it with 2.1 overs to spare. Anyone who follows cricket will know what this means - think Ashes and crushing England.

The excitement that Kohli has created is palpable. Newspapers are awash with glittering stories about his accomplishments and he's being hailed as the next super-hero of Indian cricket. Die-hard fans have found their next idol, as have teenage girls looking for someone to swoon over. There's even an also-ran starlet, Poonam Pandey, famous for promising racy pictures to cricketers, who recently posted a lingerie clad picture of herself and dedicated it to the young Kohli as she tweeted "wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww whattta match muwaaaaah luv u virattttt."

How the next years play out for Virat remains to be seen, but the signs are nothing short of impressive. Also, Kohli's entry seems timely. Indians are ready for another hero.

Sachin Tendulkar has made his 100 tons. No small feat, by miles. He's been revered in India, as abroad, as a cricket legend. He's taken his in the sun, long before his 100 centuries. But now speculation is rife about his impending retirement. Will he, won't he? No one knows yet. Even if he does retire, it's not that Kohli is stepping into Tendulkar's shoes; that's too early and a bit rash to say. Tendulkar is so venerated and loved that it seems almost sacrilege to suggest that anyone else would ever take his place.

But, if someone is to come close, it would be Virat Kohli. He's the one to put your money on.