Batting great Sir Vivian Richards heaped praise on India batting maestro Virat Kohli for his sublime form in the ongoing ODI World Cup. Kohli, who is arguably the greatest batter of this generation, has scored two centuries and four half-centuries in the ongoing tournament and with 543 runs he is currently third in the list of most-run getters behind Rachin Ravindra and Quinton de Kock.
The batting maverick has also equalled the most ODI centuries tally of great Sachin Tendulkar with his 49th ton against South Africa on his 35th birthday. Kohli has been in great form and scored runs while both batting first and chasing to help India maintain an invincible record with 8 wins in as many matches thus far.
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Viv Richards, who has often talked highly of Kohli, once again hailed the 35-year-old and said he is right up there with the likes of Tendulkar.
“There have been a whole host of talented individuals on show but to top them all, you cannot look past Virat Kohli. I am a huge fan of Virat, I have been for a long time, and he continues to show why he has to go down as one of the all-time greats, right up there with the likes of the great Sachin,” Richards told ICC.
Richards pointed out Kohli’s lean patch from 2021 to the first half of 2022 and said lauded Team India’s backroom staff for backing him during tough times as the batting maestro has now proved that – ‘Form is temporary and class is permanent’.
“Virat will have been through some tough times before this World Cup and some folks were even brave enough to call for his head. Credit must be given to the backroom staff and everyone who backed him. So much was said about his form but he is back on top of his game. It is phenomenal to see an individual who has had his low points bouncing back and playing like this. They say form is temporary – and he has certainly proven that class is permanent. I am so happy for him, he looks so focused and he is a credit to the game of cricket,” he added.
The Windies legend recalled his chats with Kohli and talked about his mental strength which has pushed him to become the best in the business.
“Virat is a go-getter and what sets him apart is his mental strength. He will have backed himself throughout, and on the occasions in the past in which I have chatted with him and we have discussed things, his mental strength has always been evident. That has been key to pushing him through to how he is playing now. Very few players, or people, are built like that,” he added.
Richards also acknowledged the fans’ comparison of him and Kohli as he also expressed his love for the 35-year-old.
“Many people have made comparisons between the two of us over the years, partly because of our shared intensity on the field. I love Virat’s enthusiasm – even if he is fielding at long-on or long-off, when one of his bowlers hits the pad, he is appealing. He is always in the game and I like individuals like that,” Richards said.
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