"Averaging 95 In A World Cup, Just Ridiculous" - James Anderson Picks Virat Kohli As Player Of The Tournament

Veteran England pacer James Anderson named ace Indian batter Virat Kohli as his choice for Player of the Tournament in the recently concluded ODI World Cup. James Anderson highlighted Virat Kohli’s incredible consistency in batting throughout the ICC tournament.

Virat Kohli emerged as the leading run-scorer in the 2023 World Cup, scoring 765 runs in 11 matches with an impressive average of 95.62. The right-handed batter surpassed the 50-run mark in nine out of 11 matches. Kohli smashed three centuries and six fifties in the event.

The 35-year-old batter decided not to give the customary post-match interview despite winning the Player of the Tournament award during the World Cup. The ace batter walked off after making eye contact upon receiving the award from BCCI President Roger Binny.

I’ve Gone For Virat Kohli – James Anderson

In a video shared by BBC 5 Live Sport on X (formerly known as Twitter), James Anderson praised Virat Kohli for his consistent performance throughout the World Cup despite the final not going well.

“Player of the tournament, I’ve gone for Virat Kohli, averaging 95, beat Sachin’s record of 50 one-day hundreds. Obviously, it didn’t work out for him today in the final, but just such a consistent performer and averaging 95 in a World Cup, just ridiculous,” Anderson told BBC Sports.

Kohli registered his 50th ODI century, scoring 117 runs off 113 deliveries in the semi-final against New Zealand. He broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most centuries in ODI cricket. He scored 54 runs in the final against Australia, but India failed to clinch the title.

The Delhi-born cricketer was not included in India’s T20I squad for the ongoing five-match series against Australia at home. The former Indian skipper will be next seen in action during the upcoming South Africa tour of India, featuring three T20Is, as many ODIs, and two Tests.

James Anderson’s Best World Cup XI (Nations XI):

Dawid Malan (England), Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand), Mohammed Shami (India), Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan), Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan), Mahmudullah Riyad (Bangladesh), Scott Edwards (Netherlands), Dilshan Madushanka (Sri Lanka), Gerald Coetzee (South Africa), Adam Zampa (Australia), and Virat Kohli (India).

Also read: Sikandar Raza Equals Virat Kohli’s Record For Most Number Of Player Of The Match Awards In 2023