IND vs SL 2017: Rohit Sharma a Better Limited-Overs Batsman than Virat Kohli - Sandeep Patil
While Virat Kohli has been tipped by many as the best batsmen in the world at the moment, former India player Sandeep Patil has said the India skipper is not the best even in his team.
The former chief selector believes Kohli is the best Test player on the team, but when it comes to limited-overs, he is behind Rohit Sharma.
“Virat Kohli fans might not like it, but I have to say Rohit Sharma is currently the better batsman,” Patil was quoted as saying by ABP.
“Virat is definitely a great batsman, no doubt about it. He is India’s best Test batsman, but when it comes to limited overs cricket, Rohit is ahead of him,” he added.
Patil’s comments have come after Rohit’s sensational performances in the just-concluded limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. With Virat Kohli rested, Rohit was given the responsibility to lead the team, and he did it with utmost aplomb. In the second match of the ODI series, he slammed a monumental 208 not out, and in the second T20I, he scored the joint-fastest century in T20Is, as India won both the series.
But while Kohli’s performance over the years and his number one ranking in ODIs and T20Is might make many believe that Patil’s comments are absurd, the stats suggest otherwise.
In 2017, Rohit has scored 1460 runs in 26 ODIs at an average of 76.8 while Virat Kohli has scored 1293 runs in 21 matches at 71.8. Both of them have scored six hundred each in the ongoing year.
In the shortest format of the game, Rohit has done even better. While Kohli has managed 256 runs in eight games, his deputy has piled up 299 runs including a century in ten matches. Rohit is ahead of Kohli even regarding strike-rate, as he scored at a stunning rate of 176, way better than Kohli’s 152.
Patil further expressed his confidence over a good show from Kohli when he leads the side in the upcoming series against South Africa but reiterated his claim that Rohit is a better limited-overs batsman than his captain.
“I’m sure Virat’s going to comeback from break and score lots of runs in South Africa, but when we talk about limited overs cricket this year, Rohit has been unbelievable. People may say he has played more matches against Sri Lanka but so has Virat. Whether he is playing only as a batsman or as captain Rohit has proved he is best at the moment,” Patil said.
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