Yuvraj Singh kicks aside Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah; Calls Virat Kohli 'best player of the generation'

Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh showered praise on Virat Kohli ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which begins on Wednesday, February 19. The cricketing legend called Virat Kohli the best player of the generation, placing him above other Indian stars like Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma.

Virat Kohli is currently in Dubai with the Rohit Sharma-led squad for the Champions Trophy. He faced heavy criticism for his underwhelming performance in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The batter managed only 190 runs across five Test matches despite his good record in Australia.

Virat Kohli Tops Run Charts Among 2025 Champions Trophy Contenders

After the Test series, Virat played a Ranji Trophy match but was dismissed for just six runs. He then featured in a three-match ODI series against England. He missed the first game due to a knee injury and struggled in the second. However, he regained form in the final ODI in Ahmedabad, scoring 52 runs.

Kohli is the highest run-scorer among players participating in the Champions Trophy. The right-handed batter has amassed 529 runs in 13 games at an outstanding average of 88.16. His best performance in the tournament came in the 2017 semi-final against Bangladesh, where he scored an unbeaten 96.

Our Generation's Best Player Across All Formats - Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh, who played alongside Virat Kohli, hailed him as the best player of the generation across all formats. Speaking to Star Sports, Yuvraj revealed that he calls Kohli "King Kohli." He admitted that form can change but added that there is no comparison to his greatness in this era.

"Main unko King Kohli bolta hoon. Toh Mahavirat toh bade kaafi saalon se hain. Aur form ka jahan tak kehna hai, form 15-18 saal ke career mein kabhi na kabhi upar neeche hogi. Par aapko unka graph dekhna chahiye. Aap dekhiye, hamari generation ka woh best player hain," Yuvraj Singh told Star Sports.

(I call him King Kohli. He has been a Mahavirat for many years. And as far as form is concerned, he has been in a career of 15-18 years. But you should see his graph. I think, our generation's best player of all formats. There is no comparison.)

🗣 “He is the best player of our generation” 😁 - @YUVSTRONG12 on match winner from #TeamIndia for the #GreatestRivalry

Catch the IND-PAK legends at their candid best on 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗣𝗮𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻! 𝗝𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗮 𝗧𝗼𝗵 𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻 on THU, 20th FEB, 10:30 PM on… pic.twitter.com/JDZfiYpNjs

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 19, 2025

Virat Kohli Set to Feature in ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Virat Kohli will next be seen in action in the upcoming Champions Trophy, where the Men in Blue will begin their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20. The team will play all their matches in Dubai, including the final on March 9, if they qualify. Otherwise, Lahore will host the title clash of the tournament.

Team India will take on Pakistan in their second group-stage fixture at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23. They will conclude the group stage against New Zealand at the same venue on March 2. The India squad is currently training in Dubai to gear up for the marquee tournament.

Also read: Dinesh Karthik comes out to reveal the reason behind Rajat Patidar over Virat Kohli as RCB captain