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Virat Kohli once again showed his class as he smashed a brilliant unbeaten century against the West Indies in the first ODI. And Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has now praised Virat Kohli for his consistency and impact on the India National Cricket Team.
Kohli’s stunning performance in Thiruvananthapuram helped India register a comfortable eight-wicket victory and added another historic milestone to his already remarkable international career. His latest hundred took his tally to 55 ODI centuries and 86 international centuries overall. Amid this, Saransh Jain reveals Gautam Gambhir’s private message before Test debut.
Sanju Samson calls Virat Kohli a huge inspiration after his record-breaking 139*
Virat Kohli produced a match-winning knock of 139 not out in the first ODI against the West Indies on Sunday. His knock played a key role in India’s successful chase of the 296-run target. It was Kohli’s 55th ODI century, adding another special milestone to his career.
Sanju Samson, who is currently in Japan for the Asian Games 2026, said how fortunate the current Indian players are to have a batter like Kohli in the team. Amid this, Watch: Virat Kohli drops Shai Hope to deny Naman Dhir maiden ODI wicket.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter has noted that every player sharing the dressing room with Kohli can learn from the way he prepares and performs. The Kerala star also expressed happiness at seeing Kohli continue to score heavily for India.
Very fortunate to have someone like him: Samson hails Virat Kohli
Sanju Samson said at the pre-match press conference in Nagoya: “I think we are very, very fortunate to have someone like him. Whenever he scores runs, whenever he turns out to practice or play a game of cricket for our country, I think it’s a great inspiration for people like us still playing the game in the Indian national team.”
He hailed Kohli’s performances, training habits, and commitment to Indian cricket as a major source of inspiration for the players. Samson further added, “Everyone playing alongside him definitely benefits from the way he puts in the performances. So, I’m very happy.”
🗣️"It was good to witness the rain here in Nagoya, and we also tried engaging in some sort of team activity every day and kept our training and conditioning going at the gym”: Sanju Samson
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) September 30, 2026
Samson speaks about India’s practice session being disrupted by the weather and whether… pic.twitter.com/kqI4vzMXsS
Sanju Samson reveals reason behind India’s growing talent
Meanwhile, Samson highlighted the growing strength of Indian cricket. While the senior ODI team is playing the West Indies, India A and the Under-19 team are facing Australia, while the T20I team is playing at the Asian Games 2026, which shows the huge depth available in the country.
Samson believes this strength has come from both the IPL and domestic cricket. He pointed out that regular domestic matches give young players more chances to develop their skills and gain experience. The continuous focus on domestic cricket has helped India produce a strong pool of talented players across different levels.
He added, “It’s a known fact nowadays how strong Indian cricket has grown over the last so many years. There has been constant effort. Definitely, the IPL plays a huge role, but I feel our domestic cricket is also playing a huge role. We have been constantly making great efforts to go out and play all the domestic matches whenever we get a chance, and that’s where we tend to develop a lot of talent.”
