Michael Vaughan, the former England skipper, feels that when Virat Kohli inevitably departs, his legacy will transcend those of great Indian cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Kapil Dev, and Sunil Gavaskar, making it the most significant in Indian cricket history.
On the special day of turning 35, Virat Kohli achieved another incredible milestone by tying Sachin Tendulkar’s treasured record of 49 ODI hundreds. Virat opted to etch his name in the annals of cricket history by hitting his 49th ODI century at the very same site where he earned his very first One Day International century 14 years ago. This time, he scorched an unbeaten 101 off 121 balls during a World Cup match against South Africa, and it all occurred at the legendary Eden Gardens venue in Kolkata on a sunny Sunday, November 5.
The iconic Master Blaster, Sachin Tendulkar, once had a vision of Virat Kohli as the true heir to his records, a prophecy that Virat has zealously fulfilled over the years with uncompromising passion and matchless skill.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan had nothing but high praise when discussing Kohli’s legacy. He spoke of Kohli’s unmatched enthusiasm on the field, his ability to inspire others with his energy, and the undeniable influence he wields, even when he’s not leading the team. He said to Cricbuzz, “He has probably been doing it for more than any of the players. I mean, MS Dhoni, Sachin (Tendulkar), Kapil (Dev) back in the day, Sunil (Gavaskar) and Zak (Zaheer Khan). Absolute legends back in the day, they are all incredibly great cricketers but Virat really did for Indian cricket, in terms of driving the professionalism that you require to be an athlete, to go out there and buzz in the field.”
Virat Kohli, who was a vital part of the victorious 2011 World Cup team, has just achieved a significant milestone by crossing the 500-run mark for the first time in an ODI World Cup. His outstanding performance has elevated him to the position of the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, having accumulated an impressive 543 runs, with just a mere 7 runs separating him from the top spot currently held by Quinton de Kock. Kohli’s stellar performance in this World Cup has seen him register two centuries and four half-centuries in the eight innings he has played so far. It’s worth noting that his overall ODI cricket average stands at a commendable 58.
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Michael Vaughan further added: “When he finishes, it will be in a few years I hope. But when he finishes, his legacy is going to be huge. It is just not going to be his numbers or his average which is near on 60 in one-day cricket, plenty in Test match cricket, probably breaks all the record. I think what he did for Indian cricket in terms of fitness, the drive of fielding. I think he has really driven Indian cricket forward. When he finishes, his legacy could quite possibly be the biggest of any individual that’s played cricket for India and that’s saying something after the legends I just mentioned.”
Kohli has now surpassed Kumar Sangakkara in terms of the highest number of fifty-plus scores in ODIs. He reached his 119th fifty or more score, placing him one step below Sachin Tendulkar, who holds the top position with 145 instances of scoring 50 or more in ODIs.
