Experienced Pakistani cricketer Ahmed Shahzad has praised Virat Kohli, calling him a legend and stating that no one should compare Pakistani captain Babar Azam to the Indian star. Babar and Virat played against each other in the T20 World Cup 2024 group match where India beat Pakistan by 6 runs and later won the T20 World Cup. Kohli, who was the Player of the Match in the final, surpassed Babar in the T20I run-scoring list and matched the Pakistani captain’s record for the most scores of fifty or more in T20Is, before ending his T20I career.
Ahmed Shahzad, who often praises the Indian player, said that India wouldn’t have won the T20 World Cup final without Virat Kohli’s 76-run performance.
“Virat Kohli is a legend of our generation. He always played with the same excitement. Even in his last T20 match, Virat was cheering from the sides when a wicket fell. He didn’t score many runs in the whole T20 World Cup, but when it’s meant to be, it happens. He scored runs in the final when no one else did well with the bat. India wouldn’t have won the T20 World Cup final without Virat Kohli’s performance. He is leaving a great legacy in T20 matches. Good luck to Indian Cricket trying to replace him. No one should compare Babar Azam or any other cricketer to him,” Ahmed Shahzad told reporters in Abu Dhabi.
Kohli had a difficult time during the tournament with his batting, playing as the opener for India with captain Rohit Sharma. Even though he didn’t score a fifty in the earlier games, he stepped up in the important final match. He helped steady the team after some early problems and contributed to India setting a good score. In the final, Kohli was one of the best players, making a strong 76 runs after India had trouble at the start. His important performance helped India reach a total of 176/7. The Indian bowlers then did a great job, winning by a small margin and ending India’s 11-year wait for an ICC championship.
Just after India won the T20 World Cup in Bridgetown on Saturday afternoon, Virat Kohli said he will stop playing Twenty20 Internationals. From now on, Kohli is expected to concentrate on playing red-ball cricket. Known as one of the best players in Test cricket, Kohli has scored 8,848 runs, including 29 centuries . His highest score was 254 not out, which he achieved against South Africa in the 2019 World Test Championship. India won that match by an innings and 137 runs.
