Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene is the latest star to heap praise on Virat Kohli for his batting approach in Twenty20 cricket and is in no doubt the Indian will create a legacy of his own when he finally lays down the bat.
Kohli has been in unstoppable form this year scoring 333 runs in six Twenty20 internationals including a sublime 82 from 51 deliveries as India pulled off a stunning run-chase to defeat Australia in their final group match of the World Twenty20.
Those performances saw him named Player of the Tournament as well as being second top run-scorer (273), even though the hosts lost to eventual winners West Indies.
Indian captains Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Chris Gayle were among the high-profile cricketers to laud the 27-year-old, he has carried the momentum in the IPL. The Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Kohli goes into Saturday night’s encounter against Hyderabad Sunrisers on the back of a century that has taken him to the top of the run charts with 367.
Such is his influence with the bat – his average is an astonishing 58.60 in the shortest format – and given his pivotal role in the team, he has been likened to superstar Sachin Tendulkar.
But, Jayawardene, who has enjoyed success on the international stage with more than 10,000 runs each in Tests and ODIs in his 17-year international career, feels no player should be compared and praised Kohli’s approach.
“He’s still an old fashioned player but he plays patiently,” said the 38-year-old, who was the chief guest at the Shyam Bhatia Cricket Awards in Dubai on Thursday.
“He’s showing in his own way that he can be as good as any power hitter. He’s very effective and I think that’s brilliant. I really enjoyed watching him in the World T20 in tough conditions and in under pressure situations. Right now, he’s definitely one of the top three batsmen in the world, if not, the best.”
He added: “We shouldn’t compare generations. Sachin has been fantastic for his generation and Kohli will leave a legacy in his generation. Kohli’s generation starts now and he will now turn into a man. I am sure he will leave a legacy and mark.”
