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Cricket PlayersGanguly's absolute gem of a reaction to Virat Kohli's century spree, verdict on Jasprit Bumrah's in-and-out treatment
The dust seems to have settled over their history, with Sourav Ganguly expressing delight over Virat Kohli's string of centuries following his return to form.
How quicky does time change. From going without an international century to smashing three in four games, Virat Kohli is well and truly back. Kohli ended the year with his 44th ODI century and began by scoring his 45th and 46th – both in a span of three matches. Kohli started the new year by slamming 113 against Sri Lanka in the 1st ODI and after getting out cheaply in the 2nd game, he hammered his second-highest ODI score of 166 not out to give India a 3-0 whitewash. In a World Cup year, Kohli has set the tone, and with six more matches to go before the IPL and some more, Sachin Tendulkar's ODI century record is looking all the more achievable – just three more to equal it.
Kohli's return to form is being celebrated by one and all, including former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. The two, who created a stir in the Indian cricket in November of 2021 when Kohli was unceremoniously sacked as India's ODI captain, seem to have come a long way since. The dust seems to have settled over the entire matter, with Ganguly expressing delight at Kohli's string of centuries following his return to form.
"I am very happy with the way he [Virat] compiled his century. It was a superb effort. It is just good to see the glow back on Virat's face," Ganguly, the former India captain told Mid-Day.
Besides Kohli, Ganguly spoke about another star India cricketer, who unlike Kohli, is missing in action, Jasprit Bumrah. The India pacer, who has been sidelined since October last year due to a back injury, was named in the squad for the Sri Lanka ODIs. But one day before the series began, Bumrah was pulled out in a last-minute decision, with the BCCI informing that the fast bowler requires more time to get back to 100 percent recovery.
There is still no fixed timeline as to when Bumrah will be seen back. He was neither named for the New Zealand ODIs. T20Is, not for the first two Tests against Australia of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Ganguly expressed concern over the suspense surrounding Bumrah's injury but asked for patience given just how much he brings to the table.
"He is a must for the Test series against Australia. Fast bowling is a tough job. Hopefully, he will recover soon. He should get enough time for recovery," Ganguly added.
