Babar Azam and Virat Kohli
NEW DELHI: Recently retired Pakistan quick Mohammad Amir says Indian superstar Virat Kohli is the greatest 'player of this generation' and his comparisons with the likes of Babar Azam, Joe Root and Steve Smith make him laugh.
Kohli, who retired from the shortest format after India's win in the 2024 T20 World Cup boasts a stunning record across formats -- 8,947 Test runs, 13,906 ODI runs, and 4,188 T20I runs -- and for Amir, former India captain's ability to win matches for the country sets him apart.
“Virat Kohli is the greatest player of this generation. I laugh when comparisons are made between him and Babar Azam, Steve Smith, or Joe Root. We cannot compare Virat Kohli to anyone because he has won so many matches for India, which seems impossible for any one player. Not just in one format, but in all three formats, Virat is the greatest batsman of this generation," Amir said on the Cricket Predicta Show.
The former Pakistan speedster hailed Kohli's work ethic, pointing out the fact how Kohli came out of his bad phase in 2014 and turned himself into a run machine.
“Virat Kohli’s work ethic sets him apart from all players. After his bad phase in England in 2014, the way he made a comeback and then consistently performed brilliantly for the next 10 years was no ordinary feat. His wicket in the 2017 Champions Trophy final was very important for us, which helped us win the final. If Virat had not been dismissed, we would have lost the final because we all know how exceptional Virat’s record is while chasing runs,” Amir said.
Kohli recently has been going through a run rut.
In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli does have a ton to his name but apart from that, he has looked out of sorts, scoring 5 single-digit scores.
The India vs Australia series is currently tied at 1-1 after three matches.
The fourth Test begins on December 26 in Melbourne.
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