Last Updated: January 16, 2023, 21:55 IST
Star India batter Virat Kohli is having a great run in 2023. After ending the previous calendar year with an ODI ton, the former captain went on to score two more in just three games in the new year. It was his 46th hundred in One-Day Internationals and needs 4 more to break the long-standing record of legendary Sachin Tendulkar. However, Kohli has already edged past the master blaster to score more hundreds on home soil and now, he also holds the record for the most ODI hundreds against a single team.
Former India captain and batting great Sunil Gavaskar heaped massive praise on Kohli, opining that the 34-year-old batter can easily get a ton of international centuries if he continues to play till he turns 40.
“In case he plays, 5 or 6 years, he will get to the 100. There is no doubt about it. His average is about 6 hundreds a year. So, if that happens, then surely, he can add another 26 hundreds in the next 5-6 years, if he plays till 40. Sachin Tendulkar also played till his 40s and he kept his fitness. Kohli is very aware of his fitness. He is still the fastest runner between wickets in this Indian team,” India Today quoted Gavaskar as saying.
“Only when MSD was there, you could say, MS Dhoni was as quick, if not quicker. Today, at this age, he beats the youngsters hands down. Converting 1s into 2s, and 2s into 3s, he is an absolute champion at that. And not just for his runs, but for his partners as well. So, with that kind of fitness, for him to play till 40 would not be a surprise at all,” he added.
It took Kohli more than three years to get back to his original self. After his last Test century in 2019, against Bangladesh in Kolkata, Kohli struggled badly to find his form. Finally, he opted to take a month-long break and returned rejuvenated in the Asia Cup 2023 where he got his first T20I century.
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After bagging the Player of the Series award on Sunday, Kohli explained how the break helped him get himself back among runs.
“Ever since I came back from the long break, I have been feeling good. I don’t have that desperation to get to a milestone. I am just enjoying my batting, being in a space where I can relax. Today as well, I was just happy to be out there batting. I am in a nice space right now and want this to continue. Shami has always been there for us but the way Siraj has come up has been outstanding. He has taken the maximum number of wickets in the powerplay, which was an issue for us early. He is always making the batters think, which is a great sign for us going into the World Cup,” Kohli said.
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