Virat Kohli Is One Of The Greatest Batters To Ever Grace The Game - Ravichandran Ashwin

Indian batsman Virat Kohli is probably one of the best batsmen that modern-day cricket has ever seen. Kohli is the only batsman to score 50 ODI centuries and went past ‘god of cricket’ Sachin Tendulkar in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Kohli has received one of the best comebacks and has been scoring runs in all three formats for the last 1.5 years.

During this period, Virat Kohli played a famous knock during the T20 World Cup 2022 group match against Pakistan. Against a lethal Pakistani pace attack consisting of bowlers such as Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, the Indian team were in no condition to win the match.

While chasing down 160, India had lost their first four wickets for just 31 runs. India were in no condition to win the match, but Virat Kohli did something incredible on that day. Virat was not only hitting the Pakistani pacers with immense easiness but probably made them ordinary bowlers.

However, the main highlight of Virat Kohli’s knock was the six that he hit to Haris Rauf on the 5th ball of the 19th over down the ground. The commentator Harsha Bhogle had said on air then, “Kohli goes down the ground, Kohli goes out of the ground.”

Ravichandran Ashwin heaps praise on Virat Kohli

With 2 runs needed from the last two balls, India lost Dinesh Karthik on the 5th ball of the last over bringing down the deficit to 2 off 1 ball. India needed 2 runs off the last ball and in came Ravichandran Ashwin. Pakistani bowler Mohammad Nawaz was trying to target Ashwin’s legs but ended up bowling a wide outside leg stump. Ashwin was clever enough and he left the ball very easily. With 1 run needed off 1 ball, Ashwin placed the ball down the ground, and India won the match by 4 wickets Virat Kohli was unbeaten on 82 runs.

That innings was once in a lifetime knock by Virat Kohli, however, Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes that Virat Kohli can play any knock at any pace once he switches down to that mode inside him.

Virat Kohli recently made a comeback in T20I cricket and played a knock of 29 runs from 16 balls in the second IND vs AFG T20I match. While speaking on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin stated that Virat Kohli has showcased his preparedness for the T20 World Cup 2024.

Ravichandran Ashwin said, “The ever-consistent Virat Kohli scored heaps of runs in the ODI World Cup. He flew like a Superman to save a six, and that is the reason why this match (3rd T20I) went into the Super Over. But his intent in the second T20I to hit every bowler out of the park just shows that he is also game for the upcoming World Cup. He also wants to take an aggressive approach. It was brilliant to watch him play in such gear.”

“This is Virat Kohli we are talking about, one of the greatest Indian batters to ever grace the game. When he switches on a mode inside him, he can play any game at any pace. And he showed it yet again.”

India’s first match in the T20 World Cup 2024 will be against Ireland on June 5.