Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif lauded Virat Kohli’s stature after the first ODI against New Zealand. Kohli scored a match-winning knock of 93 runs off just 91 balls with the help of eight fours and one six against New Zealand in the series opener at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara on Sunday. 

Once again, the talisman was able to hit the ground running and took the attack against the opposition from the get-go. Thus, he played an instrumental role in India’s four-wicket win and was awarded Player of the Match.

Kaif spoke about a young boy, who was holding a poster, which said he won’t eat for a week if Kohli doesn’t make a hundred. Interestingly, the cameraman and the broadcaster’s director showed it on screen when Kohli was dismissed.

Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube Channel, “In yesterday’s match, a kid came to the ground holding a placard that said, ‘If Virat Kohli doesn’t score a hundred, I won’t eat for a week.’ He said he would not eat for a week. Right? Just look at Virat Kohli’s stature. When it comes to him, people talk directly about hundreds. That child took such a big chance, saying he would stay hungry for a week if Kohli didn’t score a hundred. This shows the level Kohli is at, the aura he carries. Without a hundred, people are not satisfied. Even if he scores 93, even if it is a match-winning knock and he wins the game, they still say he didn’t score a hundred. That is how much dominance he has shown with his batting. Honestly, he alone is enough.”

“That kid came with hope, and just look at the expectation. You might tell someone else to score 30 or 50, but with Virat Kohli you say, ‘Score a hundred’ straight away. This is not child’s play. Scoring a hundred, or even 50 or 60, and doing it consistently is not easy. Look at his consistency. Top class. His aggression is top class too. He got out, fine, but until then he was attacking. That is the way he was playing. When he came in, the very first boundary he hit was by stepping forward, and then he played a pull shot. It was clear he had decided that whenever he goes out to bat now, everyone, whether teammates, young players, or critics, should watch how he bats in ODIs,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kaif recalled a Ranji Trophy match when Kohli had a relaxed approach and kept chatting with Tanmay Srivastava, who was fielding at short leg.

“The first time I saw Virat Kohli play was around 2008 in a Ranji Trophy match. It was Delhi versus Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow. Tanmay Srivastava was in his team, from the Under-19 batch, fielding at short leg. I was the captain. When Virat came in to bat, he was joking, saying things like, ‘Why are you fielding here? The catch won’t come.’ He was just having fun. It must have been his first or second year in Ranji cricket. In that match, he scored a hundred against bowlers like Praveen Kumar, RP Singh, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Even between overs, when Tanmay Srivastava would come to short leg, he would keep chatting and joking. No pressure, no stress at all.”

The second ODI between India and New Zealand will be played at Rajkot on Wednesday.