Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has lavished praise on Virat Kohli after India won the first ODI against New Zealand by four wickets at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara on Sunday. Kohli scored a match-winning knock of 93 runs off just 91 balls with the help of eight fours and one six.
Once again, the talisman was able to hit the ground running and took the attack against the opposition from the get-go. Chopra hailed Kohli for his adaptability in the ODI format and for making the most of his experience.
“If we try to understand Virat Kohli’s greatness, there are many yardsticks. Look at his adaptability. He is adapted to different formats. Even today, Kohli didn’t use to play like this, hitting every ball while using his feet against pacers. He did get out like that, but he is playing in a very different fashion,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Chopra noted that Kohli has been unstoppable in the 50-over format while playing for India or Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“If one checks his last five or six innings, he has scored either a hundred or a fifty. He has not stopped after that Adelaide duck, whether it’s the Vijay Hazare Trophy or matches for India. He is absolutely unstoppable and he is always reinventing the wheel,” he observed.
Kohli also breached the 28000 runs mark in International cricket across all formats, becoming the second player to do so after legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
“He is now the second-highest run-scorer in the history of this game across the three formats. Of course, the runs won’t get increased in two formats now, but so many runs in total. It’s a massive yardstick. Whenever history is written, the name after Sachin Tendulkar is Virat Kohli,” Chopra said.
“So that’s one big tick, the yardstick of runs or numbers. Look at his longevity. It seems like he plays now the way he played in his first match. He is still as fit, runs as fast, and batting as fantastically. He doesn’t get tired,” Chopra elaborated.
The second ODI between India and New Zealand will be played at Rajkot on Wednesday.
