Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has tipped Virat Kohli as the best batter of this generation and feels the veteran deserves a World Cup medal. Kohli has been in fine form in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2024 as he has amassed 542 runs in 11 matches at an average of 67.75 and a strike rate of 148.09.
The RCB batter is the highest run-getter in the tournament so far and would like to continue his rich form in the upcoming T20 World Cup for India. Kohli has scored 4037 runs in 117 T20I matches at an average of 51.76 and a strike rate of 138.16.
“He has definitely broken all the records in this era,” Yuvraj said in a chat with ICC. “The best batter of this generation, I feel, in all formats. And I think he is also someone who needs a World Cup Medal. He has one. I’m sure he is not satisfied with one. I think he surely deserves that medal as well.”
“I think he understands his game really well,” Yuvraj said. “He knows if he’s there till the end, he is going to win the game for India and he has done that on some big occasions – against Australia in Mohali as well.
“Once he had the confidence of chasing and knowing the situation, he knows how to bat in these situations, knows which bowlers to attack, which bowlers to take singles off, when to attack again, handle the pressure and knows when to change his game.”
Yuvraj hailed Kohli’s performance in the 2014 T20 World Cup when India made it to the final but lost to Sri Lanka. Kohli top-scored with 319 runs in six matches at an average of 106.33 in the T20I showpiece.
“I think he was outstanding. He was in one of the best forms of his life. He was hitting the ball unbelievably. And I had a small partnership with him (in the final) and then he batted with Dhoni,” Yuvraj recalled.
The 2011 World Cup hero revealed that Kohli didn’t slog in the practice sessions and played like he was playing in a match.
“Why I think he was so good was because every time in nets or a practice situation, he would not go and just slog balls,” Yuvraj describes. “In the nets, he would always bat like he was batting in a match. He put that in repetition after repetition after repetition. I have not seen that in many players. I think that is the key to his success.”
India will begin their World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5th
