BCCI pays tribute to Virat Kohli (Photo tweeted by BCCI on July 20)
As Virat Kohli takes the field against West Indies on Thursday, he will become only the fourth batter to play 500 or more international games for India after Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid.
Another phenomenal record will get added to Virat Kohli’s book of achievements when he will step out at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad for the second India vs West Indies Test. The former India skipper will play his 500th international game for India, making his way to an elite list of Indian batters that comprises the great Sachin Tendulkar, the legendary MS Dhoni and ‘The Wall’ – current head coach Rahul Dravid.
Kohli will become only the fourth batter to play 500 or more international games for India. Sachin leads the charts with a staggering 664 appearances since making his debut in 1989. Next on the list is Dhoni with 538 games, followed by Dravid (509).
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Ahead of notching up the milestone, the BCCI paid a special tribute to the former Indian captain with a Twitter post on Wednesday morning. The Indian cricket board congratulated Kohli on his achievement and wrote,
“500 reasons to admire the journey! Congratulations to Virat Kohli on his 500th international match for #TeamIndia.”
Experts hail Kohli
Meanwhile, the experts of the game were no short of praise for the ace Indian batter. The Jio Cinema commentary panel, including Aakash Chopra, Pragyan Ojha and Wasim Jaffer, doffed their hats to Virat Kohli.
Here’s what they said:
“Virat Kohli’s dedication for the game is very evident and in fact defines him. The way he has lived his life like a monk where it has only been about cricket. That is the reason he has reached where he is today and is a brand ambassador of the beautiful game. We are all thankful for what he has done for Indian cricket and for cricket in general,” Chopra said.
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“This is a very special achievement. Very few get to achieve this feat. I hope this acts as a motivation for him and he keeps playing good knocks for the country and continues with his good form,” said Pragyan Ojha.
“Not everybody gets to play 500 matches and his longevity is praiseworthy – the way he has kept himself fit and consistent and continued playing well and scored 75 centuries in international cricket. It signifies his discipline, dedication, and determination. He has played 500 matches and there is a lot more cricket left in him. He is a role model for all cricketers across the world,” said Jaffer.
