Former India captain Virat Kohli is currently playing his 100th Test match. The veteran has become the 71st player in the world to reach a huge milestone.
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Former India captain Virat Kohli is currently playing his 100th Test match. The veteran has become the 71st player in the world to reach the huge milestone as India take on Sri Lanka in the first of the two-match Test series in Mohali as well. So far, Kohli has scored 7,962 runs which came at an average of 50.39.
Kohli’s contribution to Indian cricket is immense but he has been going through a rough patch for the past two-and-a-half years. His last Test hundreds came against Bangladesh at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on 22nd November 2019 where he smashed 136 off 194 balls and guided his team to a win by an innings and 46 runs as well.
And, former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar believes that Virat Kohli’s lack of centuries doesn’t imply that he is in poor form. While speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda on Thursday evening, Vengsarkar said: “He (Kohli) is still the best in the world. The way he has worked on his fitness and batting over the years has been exemplary. He is an inspiration to millions of people.”
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When he was asked if he had to face any resistance while giving Kohli his international break, Vengsarkar told: “No, I didn’t face any resistance from my fellow selectors. We were on the same wavelength and they completely supported my decision. I knew that Virat was destined for greatness when I saw him for the first time.”
As far as Virat Kohli’s leadership is concerned, Team India have won 40 times in 68 Tests with a win percentage of 58.82 under him. Only Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41) have won more Tests than him while leading the team.
Dilip Vengsarkar again stated: “Virat is a bowler’s captain. He has brought about a fast bowling revolution in India because of which we now have an army of fast bowlers. This was not the case until a few years ago. The manner in which he motivates his bowlers and everyone else around him is so infectious.”
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“Along with skills, fitness has become an important yardstick for selection now. Virat has introduced this culture to the team by taking his fitness to another level. Hence, you’ll see that our fielding standards have improved drastically over the years,” he added.
However, Virat Kohli owns the record for the most Test runs (5,864 at an average of 54.80) by an Indian Test captain. Only Graeme Smith ( 8,659), Allan Border (6,623) and Ricky Ponting (6,542) have scored more runs than him as captain.
While talking about Kohli’s century drought, Dilip Vengsarkar said, “It will come when it has to come. He seems to be in good touch, so why [do you] unnecessarily bother about it? Virat is an experienced player who knows how to manage his workload. He’s good in all formats of the game, so I’ll leave it to him.”
