IND vs NED: Virat Kohli Is Obsessed With Personal Milestones..'- Former Indian Pacer

Former India fast-bowler Venkatesh Prasad has taken shots at Virat Kohli‘s critics after the India batting star’s impressive display against South Africa at the Eden Gardens on Sunday (November 5).

Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten century as India recovered from losing both their openers inside the first ten overs to post a formidable total of 326 for 5 in the allotted 50 overs. The right-handed batsman scored an unbeaten 101 off 121 balls with the help of 10 fours. Shreyas Iyer also played a crucial knock of 77 runs for the home side.

The score turned out to be more than enough in the end as South Africa proved no match for India’s formidable bowling lineup. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja led India’s charge with the ball, taking a career-best 5 for 33 as India bowled out South Africa for a paltry total of 83 to register their eighth straight win in the competition.

Venkatesh Prasad defends Virat Kohli:

Virat Kohli’s latest century has divided the cricketing world into two halves. While one section has praised him for a composed knock on a tough pitch, the other section has been criticizing him for not being aggressive enough. In the last 10 overs of India’s innings, the former India captain scored 26 runs in 26 balls and managed to hit just two fours.

And his approach has not gone down well with many. Venkatesh Prasad, however, heaped praise on Virat Kohli and decided to hit back at the critics for calling the India star selfish. Taking to X, the former fast-bowler wrote:

“Hearing funny arguments about Virat Kohli being Selfish and obsessed with personal milestone. Yes Kohli is selfish, selfish enough to follow the dream of a billion people, selfish enough to strive for excellence even after achieving so much, selfish enough to set new benchmarks, selfish enough to ensure his team wins. Yes, Kohli is selfish.”

Hearing funny arguments about Virat Kohli being Selfish and obsessed with personal milestone.
Yes Kohli is selfish, selfish enough to follow the dream of a billion people, selfish enough to strive for excellence even after achieving so much, selfish enough to set new benchmarks,… pic.twitter.com/l5RZRf7dNx

— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) November 6, 2023

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has equaled legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI tons. With India to play at least two more games in the ongoing World Cup, the 35-year-old would be looking to become the first-ever player to hit 50 centuries in the 50-over format.

Speaking after the game, he was asked about equaling Tendulkar’s record. In reply, Kohli said: “To equal my hero’s record in ODIs is something that is a huge honor for me. I know that people like comparisons but I am never going to be as good as him [Sachin].

“There’s a reason why we’ve all looked up to him. He’s perfection when it comes to batting… he’s always going to be my hero regardless of what happens. It’s a very emotional moment for me. I know where I come from, I know the days that I’ve watched him play on TV, so just to stand here and get this appreciation from someone like him means a lot to me.”