Gary Sobers sends colossal ‘game can get very funny’ warning to Virat Kohli as India star chases batting records
Team India’s star batter Virat Kohli commands respect from across the cricketing fraternity for his incredible batting record. The fact that Kohli kept not only Team India’s, but the faith of former cricketers and fans from around the world during his rough patch in 2022 is a testament to the batting prowess he possesses. Since making a return to form in the second half of 2022, Kohli went past Ricky Ponting in list of most international centuries; he’s now second only to India batting great Sachin Tendulkar.
Virat Kohli bats during a practice session ahead of 1st ODI match against West Indies(BCCI Twitter)
Currently, he has 76 international tons to his name with the latest coming against West Indies during the second Test earlier this month. Kohli scored 121, which was also his first overseas ton in red-ball cricket since 2018, when he smashed a century in Perth. In the ODI series, Kohli played but didn’t bat in the first match, and was rested – to significant criticism – in the second. Regardless, Kohli has admirers all over the world, not least Sir Gary Sobers, one of the legendary former West Indies players and captains.
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Sobers met Kohli ahead of the first Test of the series in West Indies, and spent time chatting with the India batter on the sidelines of the team’s net session. On Saturday, the West Indies great was in attendance in Barbados as the hosts took on India in the second ODI, and in an interview with Revsportz, Sobers talked about Kohli in great detail.
“I think he is a good player. He has the right approach, attitude, and he plays very well. I’ve never been surprised by the amount of runs he scored,” Sobers said about the 34-year-old India batter. The Windies legend, however, isn’t quite sure whether Kohli will end up with major batting records to his name. The India batter is still 25 centuries away from surpassing Sachin Tendulkar for most international tons, and is currently the fifth-highest run-getter in the ODIs.
“Well, I wouldn’t say that because sometimes the game can become very funny. You can have some bowlers that are good too,” said Sobers.
“And you have players who can do certain things with the ball at times that you don’t even think about. You have been playing often with these types of players, and if you are good enough, eventually you will rise.”
Kohli has faced some trouble against spin bowling over the past few years, but continues to be India’s leading batter across all formats. This year, though, Kohli hasn’t appeared for the side in a single T20I, with many speculating that both, Kohli and Rohit Sharma are now only being considered for Tests and ODIs.
Team India, meanwhile, faced a disappointing six-wicket loss to West Indies in the second ODI of the series, as the three-match series is poised for an exciting finish on Tuesday. India had won the first game comfortably, but took a rather controversial decision to rest captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the second; a series of unusual batting order decisions led to India being bowled out for 181, as Windies chased down the target losing just four wickets.
