Yuvraj Singh feels Virat Kohli deserves a World Cup medal at the ICC World T20.
Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh commended Virat Kohli as the best batter across all formats of the game. Yuvraj, who is the ambassador of the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, lauded the achievements and records of the star Indian batter, who will mark his sixth appearance at the biennial event. Kohli was part of the Indian campaign at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 where the team lifted the coveted trophy after 28 years.
Former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh hails batter Virat Kohli as the best batter of this generation across all formats(ICC)
The victory also brought the Indian batting superstar his first-ever ICC World Cup medal. However, the run machine has not been to place another medal around the neck despite having played exceptionally well at the World Cup. At the recent ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Kohli brought his vintage style back into the run as he scored the most runs in the quadrennial event and was also the Player of the Tournament.
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Yuvraj firmly believed that the former Indian skipper wasn’t satisfied with only one medal and deserved another. “He has definitely broken all the records in this era,” the former Indian left-hander told ICC. “The best batter of this generation, I feel, in all formats. And I think he is also someone who needs a World Cup Medal. He has one. I’m sure he is not satisfied with one. I think he surely deserves that medal as well.”
Kohli is widely regarded for handling the team’s fort in tricky circumstances, especially in the ICC events. His mind-boggling knock against Australia at the T20 World Cup 2016 in Mohali where he smashed 82 runs off 51 balls when India were 94/4 in 14 overs while chasing 161 runs, has been one of the major highlights of his decorated career. Recalling Kohli’s divine performance, Yuvraj admired the former’s understanding for the game and his confidence while chasing totals.
“I think he understands his game really well. He knows if he’s there till the end, he is going to win the game for India and he has done that on some big occasions – against Australia in Mohali as well,” he said. “Once he had the confidence of chasing and knowing the situation, he knows how to bat in these situations, knows which bowlers to attack, which bowlers to take singles off, when to attack again, handle the pressure and knows when to change his game.”
While the Indian batter had an exceptional display against the Aussies in 2016, his 2022 outing was no different. An unbeaten 82 off just 53 deliveries against Pakistan in Melbourne was a testament to his zenith on the big stage. However, the run machine also displayed its pinnacle way back in the 2014 T20 World Cup. The tournament witnessed Kohli scoring four half-centuries in six matches where Yuvraj Singh also had the privilege of assisting the Indian batter from the non-striker’s end. The latter lauded Kohli’s run as “unbelievable.”
“I think he was outstanding. He was in one of the best forms of his life. He was hitting the ball unbelievably. And I had a small partnership with him (in the final) and then he batted with Dhoni,” he reminisced. Furthermore, Yuvraj also talked about Kohli’s unmatched style of batting in nets. “Why I think he was so good was because every time in nets or a practice situation, he would not go and just slog balls,” he said.
“In the nets, he would always bat like he was batting in a match. He put that in repetition after repetition after repetition. I have not seen that in many players. I think that is the key to his success,” he added. As Kohli marks his sixth appearance at the biennial event in June, he will surely be looking to lift the trophy by bringing his A-game into play. While the Indian maestro is in no lack of form, being the highest scorer in the Indian Premier League 2024 with 542 runs from 11 matches, a second ICC medal might not be very far.
