'Don't see this feat happening often in future': Rohit Sharma, Hardik lead tribute ahead of Kohli's 100th T20I for India
Kohli will become the first ever Indian cricketer to appear in 100 matches each across format as he gears up to hit the triple-figure mark in T20I cricket. And ahead of the milestone game in Dubai, team members paid heartfelt tribute to the India star.
Former India captain Virat Kohli is all set to make a massive achievement when he takes the field at the Dubai International Stadium in Sunday against Pakistan in India's Asia Cup 2022 opener. Kohli will become the first ever Indian cricketer to appear in 100 matches each across format as he gears up to hit the triple-figure mark in T20I cricket. And ahead of the milestone game in Dubai, team members paid heartfelt tribute to the India star. (India vs Pakistan Live Score, Asia Cup 2022)
The match against Pakistan will be Kohli's 100th T20I appearance for India. He will be the second Indian cricketer after captain Rohit Sharma, who stands atop in T20I history with 132 appearances, to achieve this feat. And with the feat, Kohli will also become the first ever Asia cricketer, let alone from Team India, to appear in 100 matches each across formats. Kohli has so far made 102 appearances in Tests for India and 262 in ODI cricket. Overall, he will become the second international cricketer after veteran New Zealand batter Ross Taylor to achieve this rare milestone.
"His hunger and his passion are unmatchable. Every time, you see him, he comes out with a different energy. It's definitely not easy to play 100 games for India across formats. So I would personally congratulate him for that," said Rohit on Star Sports as he spoke about Kohli's feat.
"It's a massive achievement. Every time, you see him, his game seems to be at a different level. I hope Asia Cup will be no different. Massive player for us, without a doubt. I hope he is at his best for the team's sake," he added.
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya admitted that with the amount of cricket players have been involved in, he sees Kohli's feat as probably the last ever in international cricket as he hailed his longevity.
“To play that amount of cricket itself is a big achievement, leaving the record aside. But people will remember this feat for the longest time because I don't see this happening in the near future. I mean it can if someone has that level of passion but will be difficult with the amount of cricket we are playing these days,” he said.
KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant also hailed Kohli in the video shared by BCCI with the caption, "Wishes galore for @imVkohli ahead of his 100th T20I for #TeamIndia. Listen in to what the team members have to say on his milestone game."
Kohli will be returning to the Indian team after having being rested for the West Indies limited-overs tour and the Zimbabwe ODIs and will be raring to go in the match against Pakistan.