With legendary West Indies all-rounder Sir Garry Sobers passing away at the age of 89 and Virat Kohli establishing himself as the greatest all-format run-getter of the current generation, it’s worth looking back at the former’s praise for the Indian star batter. What did Sobers say about Kohli’s hunger and the ability to score runs?
What did Sir Garry Sobers say in praise of Virat Kohli?
The incident dates back to India’s all-format tour of the West Indies in 2023. With the Men in Blue gearing up for the third and final ODI, Sobers had paid the Indian team a visit during one of their practice sessions and met the entire squad, including then head coach Rahul Dravid. Speaking to RevSportz about Kohli, the late cricketer had said:
“I think he is a good player. He has the right approach, attitude, and he plays very well. I’ve never been surprised by the amount of runs he scored.”
When asked whether the Delhi-born cricketer can cross Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 100 centuries, the Barbadian said cricket is a funny game and such records are unpredictable:
“Well, I wouldn’t say that because sometimes the game can become very funny. You can have some bowlers that are good too. And you have players who can do certain things with the ball at times that you don’t even think about. You have been playing often with these types of players, and if you are good enough, eventually you will rise.”
While most cricket fans remember the likes of Jacques Kallis, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Sir Richard Hadlee as amongst the best all-rounders to have played the game, Sobers is arguably the first of that ilk. The Barbadian featured in 93 Tests, scoring 8302 runs, averaging 57.78 with 26 centuries and took 235 wickets at 34.02 apiece. He could bowl left-arm pace as well as orthodox and wrist spin and was an exceptional close-in fielder. He played a staggering 383 first-class games across West Indies, Barbados, Nottinghamshire and South Australia, scoring 28314 runs, averaging 54.87 alongside 1043 scalps.
When will Virat Kohli be next in action?
As for Kohli, he will be in action on July 19, Sunday at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London during the third and final ODI against England. With the three-game 50-over series locked at 1-1, there is everything to play for.
The 37-year-old bounced back to score 65 in Cardiff after getting out for 5 in Birmingham. However, he will want to score a ton in the series-decider?
