Virat Kohli’s contribution to cricket has been nothing short of extraordinary. With several records to his name, he has been hailed as one of the greatest cricketers of all time. Even as a captain of the Indian cricket team, his numbers are exceptional. However, Virat went through a lean patch in his career, and it was during this time that former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar spoke about his unwavering faith in Virat’s abilities.
Shoaib Akhtar, who holds the record for the fastest delivery in cricket, has always been a big fan of Virat Kohli. In a recent interview, he opened up about what makes Virat so special. According to Shoaib, Virat’s work ethic and discipline are unparalleled. He stated that Virat’s commitment to his fitness, coupled with his mental strength, sets him apart from other cricketers.
Speaking about Kohli on Bol News, the 47-year-old pacer said, “See, I believe Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman in the world. But as a captain, he was lost. He left the captaincy himself. I was talking to one of my friends about Virat Kohli, and we were discussing the same thing. He was lost, and when he works on his mind, he will perform. When his mind became free, he ruled the T20 World Cup.”
“You also need to look that almost 40 centuries from Kohli came in run chases. Log kehte hain tum Virat ki bohot tareef karte ho, main kehta hu kaise naa karu? (People tell me that you praise Virat Kohli a lot. I just say, Why shouldn’t i do that?) During one stage, India used to win because of Virat’s hundreds,” Akhtar added.
Despite the criticism that Virat faced during his lean patch, Shoaib remained one of his staunch supporters. He reiterated his belief that Virat is one of the greatest cricketers of all time and that his talent and dedication would see him through any rough patch.
Virat’s perseverance and hard work paid off when he made a stunning comeback with the Asia Cup after a six-week break during July and August. Since then, he has been in red-hot form, and his recent milestone of becoming the sixth batter in history to score 25,000 or more runs in international cricket is a testament to his skills.
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Currently, Virat is engaged in a four-match Border-Gavaskar Test series against Australia, where he will look to lead his team to victory with his exceptional batting and leadership skills.
