Former Australian captain Greg Chappell has rated Virat Kohli as the most complete batsman of his time. Kohli has all the shots in his repertoire and there are hardly any chinks in his armor. The talisman has been a consistent performer for India in all three forms of the game.
Kohli scored a majestic knock of 82 runs off just 53 balls against Pakistan in the team’s opening match of the T20 World Cup 2022. The linchpin continued his good form against the Netherlands as he scored another fine knock of 62 runs off 44 balls.
Meanwhile, Kohli wasn’t in the best of forms in the last couple of years but he found his A-game in the Asia Cup as he scored 276 runs in the five matches at an average of 92 and a strike rate of 147.59. Kohli was able to continue the same form in the bilateral series against Australia and South Africa while playing in home conditions.
“Kohli is the most complete Indian batsman of my time. Only the greatest of champions have the courage and the intelligence to transport their imagination beyond the mortal plane. Kohli has that. Perhaps only Tiger Pataudi has come close to transcending a similar stratosphere,” Chappell wrote in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Kohli played an innings that was as close to a ‘song by god’ as has ever been played in T20 cricket. Like a cat playing with a new skein of wool, Kohli teased then expertly picked apart an excellent Pakistan bowling attack until it lay unraveled, spent and exposed on the green carpet of the MCG,” he added.
Chappell went on to add Kohli played a batting masterclass against Pakistan as he batted out of his skin to get India over the line in a thrilling chase.
“I can think of many of the best hitters in the modern game who could have pulled off a similar victory, and probably have, but none has ever done it with pure batting skills in the manner that Kohli did against Pakistan,” he added.
Kohli is going to be crucial for India in the upcoming matches of the T20 World Cup and his form will hold the key for the Men in Blue.