Former England pace legend James Anderson has labelled India’s star batsman Virat Kohli “one of the best” players at chasing runs and finishing games, particularly highlighting his prowess in white-ball cricket.
Anderson recently spoke on the Tailenders podcast. On the podcast, Virat said, “I don’t know if there’s been a better batsman in the history of the game batting second and chasing scores than Virat Kohli. His record in chasing is absolutely phenomenal. The number of hundreds he’s scored in the second innings, chasing scores, is ridiculous.”
Anderson noted that Virat’s chasing skills are excellent due to the great confidence he has in himself.
“It’s no surprise that when he’s in that situation, with his mindset, everything is as it should be. He has great self-belief,” Anderson added. Asked if Virat is the greatest white-ball batsman of all time, Anderson said that while Australia’s Michael Bevan did score some good finishes for Australia in the 1990s and early 2000s, the centuries scored by Virat during successful chases make him the “greatest finisher” as well as one of the greatest white-ball batsmen of all time.
“I can’t say that. I was thinking more in terms of just chasing. [As for the best white-ball batter ever,] “Michael Bevan from Australia comes to mind, particularly in the late 1990s and early 2000s – he was phenomenal at getting to number six and doing that job,” he said.
“Kohli batting at number 3 gets those hundreds while Bevan was famous for getting his 50s, 60s and being at the end, while Kohli gets the top score to take his teams over the line. Honestly, I can’t think of a better finisher and better white-ball players than him. [Kohli]”, he added.
The duo have enjoyed a dominant and much-talked-about rivalry with each other. They have faced each other in 36 innings in Test cricket, with Virat scoring 305 runs at an average of 43.57 and coming up against him seven times, including four times during the 2014 tour, where Virat could score just 134 in 10 innings at an average of 13.40, with a best score of 39.
However, Virat greatly improved his game in English conditions during the 2018 tour, topping the runs charts with 593 runs in five matches at an average of 59.30, with two centuries and three fifties and a best score of 149.
Virat is considered one of the greatest white-ball batsmen of all time. He made his ODI debut in 2008 against Sri Lanka. After this, he scored 13906 runs after playing 295 matches and 283 innings at a strike rate of 93.54, with 50 centuries and 72 fifties. He is the third-highest run-scorer in ODI history.
He is also the second-highest run-scorer in T20Is, scoring 4,188 runs at an average of 48.69, at a strike rate of over 137, with one century and 38 fifties.
His records in chasing are phenomenal, scoring 7,852 runs in 162 ODI matches at an average of 64.36, with 27 centuries and 40 fifties. In 53 T20Is and 48 innings, while chasing, he scored 2,013 runs at an average of 67.10, with a strike rate of 136.47 and 20 fifties. His best score was 94*.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.