Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif hailed Virat Kohli for his consistency amid the ODI series against the West Indies. Kaif said a lot of people questioned Kohli’s decision to shift base from India to London.
However, Kohli always performed consistently in the ODI format. Kohli scored a magnificent knock of 139 runs off just 88 balls with the help of 10 fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 157.95 in the opening ODI against West Indies. He added 151 runs with skipper Shubman Gill to put in a commanding position in the run-chase of 296.
The veteran also became the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to complete 15000 ODI runs and he got to the milestone in 74 innings quicker than the Master Blaster. This was Kohli’s 55th ODI century and his 86th International ton.
Kaif hailed Kohli for playing crucial knocks in the big matches in his career.
“If Kohli can play such knocks, it doesn’t matter if he stays in London or America. He can stay wherever he wants. A lot of people also made an issue out of him staying outside. Whatever it is, it has not affected his game at all. He has shut everybody’s mouths. Everyone questioned how he would score while staying out, but he has put a full stop to all of it. He was the Player of the Tournament in the 2023 World Cup, Man of the Match in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, scored a hundred in the Champions Trophy, and was Man of the Match in the IPL 2026 final. He has not left any opportunity,” Kaif said in a video on his YouTube channel.
The former UP batter said Kohli takes a lot of pride while representing India at the top level.
“When Kohli steps out in the Indian jersey, he takes pride. Everyone takes pride, crores of people play, but he takes a whole different pride. He has already played for 18 years, has 55 ODI hundreds, but still says he is lucky for the opportunity every time he plays. It means that he knows how lucky he is to showcase his skillset. He has such a clear mindset. A clear mindset is a big reason for his success right now.”
The second ODI between India and the West Indies will be played at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, on Wednesday.
