Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg has heaped praise on Virat Kohli, calling him the best ODI batsman he has seen in his lifetime. Hodge was particularly impressed by Kohli’s ability to score consistently, his willingness to work on his weaknesses, and his competitive attitude on the field.
“Virat Kohli is the best one day international batsman that I have seen in my lifetime,” Hogg said. “Every time he goes out to the bat, there’s an 18% chance that he’s going to get 100. There’s a 43% chance that he’s going to make a 50 or a 100. Very hard to bowl to. He doesn’t have too many weaknesses to his armoury.”
Hogg also praised Kohli’s attitude and work ethic. “If he’s struggling, he’ll go to the nets, work on it, rectify it, and then come out the next day,” Hodge said. “If a bowler attacks him in that particular weakness that was down the game before, he’ll dominate it straight away and put the pressure back on the bowler. That’s what I love about him.
Hogg also believes that Kohli is a great ambassador for the game. “Off the field, he’s a fantastic person,” Hodge said. “He’s a great ambassador for the game and I think he’s going to get his 50th 50 at the 1A International Cricket in the final for India on our home soil.”
Virat Kohli is currently one of the most successful batsmen in ODI cricket. He has been unstoppable at Cricket World Cup 2023, scoring 594 in 9 innings with 5 half-centuries and 2 century. The 35 year old has already equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries and is on his way to become the first batter to complete 50 centuries in ODIs.
He has scored 49 centuries and 71 half-centuries in 290 matches, at an astonishing average of 58..44 He is also the one of few great batters to have over 25000 international runs under his belt.
Kohli’s achievements are even more remarkable considering that he has played in a very competitive era. He has faced some of the best bowlers in the world, including Mitchell Johnson, James Anderson, and Lasith Malinga. But he has always found a way to score runs against them.
It’s not just Brad Hogg but every mature cricketer admires Virat Kohli for his dedication to the game and how he has evolved throughout the years. The milestone man of India is playing his last cricket world cup at home and there is a great opportunity for him to win a World Cup for his side which is surely can given the kind of form he is in.
