Virat Kohli completed 16 years in international cricket on August 18, 2024, and received huge praise from former India teammate Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir was an established India opener when Kohli made his India debut in 2008 in an ODI against Sri Lanka.
Gautam Gambhir was at the opposite end as Kohli got his first international century against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Gambhir and Kohli combined to form a huge partnership in that game, which helped India win.
Although Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli have had some heated disagreements over the years, Gambhir has always admired Kohli for his approach to the game.
Virat Kohli has had a fantastic international career, breaking numerous records. He has around 14000 runs in one-day internationals and nearly 9000 in test cricket. In ODIs, he has already eclipsed Sachin Tendulkar in terms of hundreds. Kohli has 50 hundreds and 72 fifties to his credit in the 50-over format.
In T20Is, he has 4188 runs in 125 games at an average of 48.69. He has hit some of his finest shots in this format. The 35-year-old resigned from Twenty20 Internationals after helping India win the T20 World Cup 2024 with a match-winning performance in the final.
Virat Kohli has a great attitude and temperament: Gautam Gambhir
While speaking with Star Sports, Gautam Gambhir recalled Virat Kohli’s early days. Gambhir believes Kohli has always had so much potential that his performance comes as no surprise.
“When he made his debut in Sri Lanka and played his first ODI, I remember he had got out early. But I knew that he would serve the country for a long time the way he was batting in the nets. He had so much talent that it was just a matter of time that he will perform and I wasn’t surprised with his performance,” Gambhir said.
Gambhir also added that Kohli, from a young age, knew how to win matches and his ability to do so made him stand out from others.
“He was a brilliant player and had a great attitude and temperament. He knew how to fight and win matches for his country when he came into the team. It was the biggest positive of his entire cricketing career the way he won matches for his team,” Gambhir added.
𝟏𝟔 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐨𝐡𝐥𝐢! ♥️
Team India coach, @GautamGambhir takes us down memory lane, reflecting on @imVkohli’s early days, crediting his match-winning ability and relentless hunger as the key to his success! 💪🏻#KingKohli #16YearsOfVirat #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/a79P2UdvgH
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 18, 2024
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