When Sir Vivian Richards Opened Up On Former India Captain Virat Kohli's Greatness
Virat Kohli seen with Sir Vivian Richards [X.com]
There are good cricketers, then great, and then there are generational stars, which include former West Indies' legend Sir Vivian Richards.
Richards has been looked up by batters, which include eras of Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, and even Virat Kohli, who is regarded as a modern-day maestro. Kohli has often opened up on his liking for Richards, who comes a close second as an inspiration behind his idol Tendulkar, to which the former Windies player has responded in kind several times.
Richards over the years, has lauded Kohli's style, attitude, and batsmanship, which ensures that fans flock to the stadiums year-after-year. The former India skipper has a plethora of centuries to his name and is certainly Richards' favourite international player.
Richards, who recently visited India for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, ended up once again lauding Kohli for his rise after years of bad form and social media criticism. In his column for ICC, the 1975 and 1979 World Cup-winning player asserted that Kohli's name is on par with a legend like Tendulkar, who over the years continued to evolve and adjust to modern-day demands.
Here's what Richards said
"There have been a whole host of talented individuals on show but to top them all, you cannot look past Virat Kohli. I am a huge fan of Virat, I have been for a long time, and he continues to show why he has to go down as one of the all-time greats, right up there with the likes of the great Sachin.
Virat will have been through some tough times before this World Cup and some folks were even brave enough to call for his head. Credit must be given to the backroom staff and everyone who backed him. So much was said about his form but he is back on top of his game. It is phenomenal to see an individual who has had his low points bouncing back and playing like this. They say form is temporary – and he has certainly proven that class is permanent. I am so happy for him, he looks so focused and he is a credit to the game of cricket,”
The Indian great finished the ICC World Cup 2023 with most runs (765), and also won the 'Player Of The Tournament' award, further putting stamp to Richards' praise.
 "Vishal Mehra")
