'Young' Virat Kohli's unexpected idol Herschelle Gibbs shocked at India great's old 'favorite cricketer' remark

Virat Kohli has recently won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 for India. He was part of the squad that created history in Barbados as they ended India's ICC title drought for 13 years.

This was India's fifth major ICC win including the 1983 World Cup, 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy. They have now won an ICC title after 13 years having won the ODI World Cup back in 2011.

Kohli had a relatively quiet T20 World Cup in the build-up to the final. In the final, he scored 76 off 59 balls and set the platform for India's end score of 176. South Africa chasing 177 to win fell just seven runs short after being in the chase almost for the first 15 overs.

South Africa lost from a position when they needed 30 off the last five overs. The likes of Hardik Pandya, and Jasprit Bumrah bowled very tightly in the last five overs to win India's match. Pandya defended 16 off the final over and also took the key wicket of David Miller.

Meanwhile, former South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs who is currently playing in the World Championship of Legends 2024 spoke from the sidelines of the tournament about Kohli calling him his favourite cricketer back in his U-19 days in 2008.

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Big Admirer Of Virat Kohli: Herschelle Gibbs

Gibbe has finally responded to that in his recent interaction with Sports Tak. He admitted that people often tag him on X (formerly known as Twitter) with the video of Kohli.

"I have. People have tweeted it to me so I did have a look and I was pleasantly surprised. I think it's quite nice,” he said in an exclusive conversation with Sports Tak.

“I'm a big admirer of him. The way he's played, he's got the utmost respect with regards to what he's achieved at international level. I also think his temperament and character under pressure especially chasing in ODI Cricket is second to none. I think that makes him just a bit more special than the other modern players" he further said on Kohli.

Gibbs also praised Rohit Sharma for his leadership throughout the T20 World Cup and for bringing an end to India's ICC title drought.

“I think they have such a variety of skills and a lot more of depth with regards to what they've had in the past. They have a lot of young batters who are very confident and have self-belief. It makes a huge difference when you start showing that character and in particular potential from an early age. “It says a lot about the individuals that make up their squad so I mean you look at some of their players for me I would definitely pay good money to go and watch them play" he said.

Gibbs concluded by praising Rohit Sharma's aggressive intent as skipper. He felt that leading Mumbai Indians in the IPL has helped him grow as a leader and also handle pressure situations better.

“Some of the shots that he played were very much a shiny light. I think for India, Rohit's captaincy has helped him having been around for a long time with Mumbai Indians where similar situations have come up and he has learned to fight it up under pressure,” he opined.

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