Pakistan’s legendary fast bowler and the World Cup winning captain Imran Khan on Tuesday rated India’s ace batsman Virat Kohli as one of the best in the world, even better than his compatriot Sachin Tendulkar when it comes to performing on the difficult moments.
As per Imran Khan, Kohli stands among the ranks of Viv Richards, Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar — all three batsmen known to have frustrated bowlers in their respective eras.
“Cricket has had eras. In the eighties, it was Viv Richards, and then you had Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar who stood out. Virat Kohli is one of the most complete players I’ve seen. He’s so versatile; he plays on both feet, and on all sides of the field,’’ said the cricketer-turned-politician in an interview to Hindustan Times.
One of the most famous Kolhi innings was when he drove India to victory against Pakistan in the World T20 group stage earlier this year at Eden Garden’s. Imran Khan was present there in the stands during the high-voltage encounter.
“It was very painful watching Pakistan lose, but Kohli played a very good game. I look at batsmen from a bowler’s point of view and I think of how to get them out.
“Just look at how Kohli plays in difficult situations. He’s better than anyone. I’d say he’s the best internationally, today. You can back him to play any match,” said Khan.
The former all-rounder also rated Kohli’s temperament better than that of his compatriot Sachin Tendulkar.
“Apart from his talent and technique, he has a very good temperament. His temperament is better than Sachin’s. Kohli performs at the most difficult of opportunities, which Sachin sometimes wasn’t able to.” added Khan.