Clive Lloyd, the iconic West Indies cricketer, praised Virat Kohli, expressing confidence that the batsman has the potential to achieve remarkable feats in international cricket.
Virat Kohli, often described as the greatest cricketer in this current period, continuously etches his name in the record books with brilliant performances. His recent achievement of overtaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most hundreds in ODIs, attaining his 50th century during the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand, stands out as a significant milestone. Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain, expresses optimism that Kohli, now in exceptional form, has adequate time in his career to surpass more of Tendulkar’s records.
Despite getting criticism for a downturn in form during 2020 and 2021, Kohli responded decisively, becoming the highest run-scorer in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The Delhi-born batsman’s recovery silenced opponents, including former cricketers who had argued for his expulsion from the Indian squad.
Acknowledging Kohli’s journey, Lloyd, during an event at Adamas University in Kolkata, highlighted that the 35-year-old cricketer still has huge contributions ahead, provided he maintains his current form. Kohli, who counts Sachin Tendulkar as his idol, has repeatedly distanced himself from comparisons, focusing on establishing his individual history in the sport. Lloyd’s optimism emphasizes the notion that Kohli, with his talent and effort, is destined to achieve legendary exploits in the times to come.
“I do not know about the period, but he is young enough and I am sure that the way he is playing he can achieve anything he wants to achieve and it would be something to be quite happy to achieve,” Lloyd was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
Virat Kohli boasts an impressive tally of 80 international centuries, with 50 of them achieved in the ODI format. Surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s iconic record of 100 international centuries seems like a daunting task for Kohli, given that he’s already 35 years old. Even if he maintains his fitness over the next four years, the challenge requires him to notch up five international centuries annually to match his cricket idol’s remarkable feat.
Although Kohli was absent from the first T20I against Afghanistan, it’s anticipated that he will grace the field for the remaining two T20Is. Following this, he is set to participate in the upcoming five-match Test series against England, scheduled to kick off on January 25.
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