‘He’s unbelievable’: Former Pakistan batsman says Virat Kohli is ‘best across formats’

Kohli, in his already remarkable career, has scored 27 Test hundreds and 43 ODI hundreds. The right-handed batsman has also amassed over 11,000 runs in the ODIs, and nearly 8,000 runs in the longest format

Virat Kohli is a name that has become synonymous with modern-day cricket. The India captain has garnered massive fan following all over the world. In every stadium he goes on to play, hoards of cricket fans chant “Kohli, Kohli”, whenever he comes out to bat. Kohli has often found himself facing scrutiny from the media and opposition team’s players for his fiery demeanour on the surface. But there is no one who does not acknowledge Kohli’s performance with the bat.

File image of Virat Kohli.(PTI)

Kohli, in his already remarkable career, has scored 27 Test hundreds and 43 ODI hundreds. The right-handed batsman has also amassed over 11,000 runs in the ODIs, and nearly 8,000 runs in the longest format. Kohli is also the leading run-scorer among all in the T20Is. So, is the he the best across formats?

Well, Pakistan legend Mohammad Yousuf certainly thinks so. Speaking in an interview to Sportstar, Yousuf said: “In today’s times, there are quite a few good players - Rohit Sharma, Joe Root, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson. But Kohli is the best across formats.”

“The way he bats, the way he handles pressure in each innings and scores centuries or the way he plays - that’s unbelievable,” he further added.

On being asked Babar Azam’s comparisons with Kohli, Yousuf said that it’s unfair to do so. “Babar is young. Many people compare him with Virat Kohli. But I think it is not ideal because Kohli has played more number of matches and he is more experienced - since he has been playing international cricket since 2008-2009,” he said.

“There is no doubt that Babar is a solid batsman, but it’s not right to compare as both are zabardast players in their own domain. Kohli is the No.1 at the moment, he is a great player,” he added.