When Rohit Sharma Was Awestruck by Virat Kohli's Hunger For Runs 

Kashish Chadha

image-lqlzerfzWhen Rohit heaped effusive praise on Kohli (Twitter)

Virat Kohli struck three memorable centuries during the ICC World Cup 2023 on home shores on his way to earning the most well-deserved 'Player of the Tournament' with a bumper 765 runs in 11 innings. 

But it was one of the great batter's non-hundred knocks during the tournament which left skipper Rohit Sharma in absolute awe of his experienced teammate.

The veteran cricketer was speechless and at a loss for enough adjectives to rave over Kohli after he played a majestic knock of 95 in a tricky run-chase during the league game versus New Zealand. 

When Rohit Stood In Awe Of Kohli

Kohli mastered yet another high-intense run-chase in One-Day Internationals for India by guiding his team deep into the quest to overhaul New Zealand's stiff total of 273 on a surface offering bowlers uneven bounce while having to deal with extreme cold weather amidst the Dhauladhar Hills. 

The great Indian No.3 produced a valiant effort of 95 off 104 deliveries, including eight fours and two sixes. Bringing his mastery of the ODI game to the fore, Kohli recognised the pressure situation astutely and calmly helped India navigate past stutters after a mini-collapse had reduced the hosts to 191/5. 

Kohli bided through the difficult phase with a tight defence and controlled batting in a match-winning partnership with spin allrounder Ravindra Jadeja (39*), which reverted the strife and took India to the verge of another World Cup league stage win. 

The former skipper did get out before the finish line in an attempt to pull off a popular century but by then the victory was nearly sealed. Once again, Kohli was the biggest point of difference in a run-chase for India and rightfully earned the glowing praise from his skipper. 

"Nothing much to say about Virat. We've seen him do this for so many years. He backs himself to do the job," Rohit said at the post-match presentation. "Towards the end there was a bit of pressure with a few wickets lost, but Kohli and Jadeja took us home."