Cricket

“Geniuses aren’t born overnight” : Ajay Jadeja on Virat Kohli’s form ahead of the Adelaide Test The first test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy highlighted many important things about both teams. With the Aussies dominating with the ball early on, it was India who were able to once again show their class on Perth courtesy of world class second innings batting from ace batter Virat Kohi along with KL Rahul and youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal.  Virat Kohli has been heavily scrutinized the whole year on his inability to find the middle of the bat, and going into the first test the Indian had an immensely forgettable series against New Zealand at home, where the whole team’s shambolic performance led to a historic whitewash as well. But once again on his pursuit to prove the doubters wrong, King Kohli scored his 30th test century and will look forward to continue this run in the whole series. Talking about his doubters and the criticism he has faced till now, former Indian batsman and analyst Ajay Jadeja has backed up the skills and ability of the 36-year-old, as he believes the genius of Virat Kohli is not born overnight. “Doubters can rest in peace… The name itself says it all. If there were doubters, they can rest in peace. Geniuses aren’t born overnight,” the 53-year-old said. “They have probably made up their mind to go back to Virat Kohli” : Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli once again having a captaincy role in IPL The 2025 IPL Mega Auction recently concluded, and it is safe to say that with the picks chosen by the Royal Challengers Bangalore, we will once again be seeing King Kohli captaining them come next year, as he was retained for a massive 21 crore fee. Kohli was somewhat sidelined after RCB decided to go the other way and make Faf du Plessis the skipper, who is now out of the team plans in 2025. Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra reflected his take on hi YouTube channel about the 36-year-old being back as the face of RCB next year. “When they have not taken anyone, they have probably made up their mind to go back to Virat Kohli, and he will once again become this team’s captain. They also thought that they wouldn’t pick anyone who was with them,” Chopra said. Virat Kohli has never been able to win the IPL Trophy before, but has come very close to obtaining it multiple times. RCB have tried their best to boost both batting and bowling through new additions like Phil Salt, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Liam Livingstone and Josh Hazlewood among others. Kohli will once again make the effort to lead his team from the front, although historically speaking about the Bengaluru team, getting into brass tacks this early should not be bothered. Also Read: “When he’s up, he’s up” : Australian legend Glenn McGrath believes they are the favorites, but have to keep an eye out on Virat Kohli

“I doubt an overseas player in the last 15 years has come to Australia and played in this fashion” : Ravi Shastri lauds Virat Kohli after iconic ton at Perth There is no point left in doubting the abilities of Virat Kohli anymore. Time and again, the veteran batsman has found a way to come back and regain form like no other batsman. And at the age of 36, King Kohli yet again proved his doubters wrong and scored a world class century on day 3 of the first test against Australia. Virat Kohli now has 81 international centuries to his name, and 30 in the longest format of the game. His poor form this year in international cricket has been heavily talked and criticised about, due to the standards he has kept for himself throughout his career. The veteran produced a man of the match performance in the T20 World Cup Final against South Africa, as fans thought that he would continue this momentum in test cricket starting August. Although that was not the case, as Kohli struggled scoring and had only one half-century to his name in five home tests. This changed when India headed to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Kohli has had a knack of scoring against Australia throughout his career, and he has by far been the best overseas player to ever step foot on an Australian pitch. Scoring 100 off 143 balls with eight fours and two sixes, this marked Kohli’s seventh century in Australia, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar along his way.  “They call him the King” : Ravi Shastri on commentary Former India head coach and an iconic voice of cricket commentary, Ravi Shastri, was obviously pleased to see his captain back in form after a dry spell of matches. Shastri praised the 36-year-old on commentary as he crowned him the greatest overseas player in Australia for the last 15 years. “Seven hundreds in Australia. The big stage, the big ground. One of the bounciest pitches in the world. I doubt an overseas player in the last 15 years has come to Australia and played in this fashion,” Shastri said on Fox Cricket commentary. “He plays two Test matches and he gets two hundreds. You can’t get a better stage and to set up the series.” “They call him the King. To get a hundred in the very first Test match of the series. It is a terrific signal for India. It is ominous from Australia’s point of view. But look at the joy. It’s a popular hundred and I think fans the world over wanted to see this bloke come to Australia and perform again.” the 62-year-old added. India comfortably won the first test at Perth by a whopping 295 runs courtesy of their second innings batting prowess as Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli played stellar knocks while Jasprit Bumrah was tidy as ever with the ball. The second test starts on 6 December at the iconic Adelaide Oval. Also Read: “When he’s up, he’s up” : Australian legend Glenn McGrath believes they are the favorites, but have to keep an eye out on Virat Kohli

“When he’s up, he’s up” : Australian legend Glenn McGrath believes they are the favorites, but have to keep an eye out on Virat Kohli Coming out from an embarrassing 3-0 whitewash against South Africa, India will face another fierce challenge as they head to Australia for a five-match Test series. Even before the start of the series, there is worry inside the Indian dressing room as a few key players are injured, which includes Shubman Gill while skipper Rohit Sharma is also on the exit ramp. The Indians have not had the best of luck playing in Australia historically, as the home side has won 14 out of the 27 matches, while 7 of them have ended in a draw. Although, India has won the previous two test series held in Australia, and are eying for a hat-trick. Legendary Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath views high chances of his side’s victory in this series, even though Australia has underperformed in the Border-Gavaskar trophy since the past few years. “Without a doubt, especially after coming off a 3-0 loss against New Zealand, you’ve got plenty of ammunition to back yourself up, so put the pressure on them and see if they’re up for it,” said McGrath on CODE Sports. “I think he’s quite an emotional player” : Glenn McGrath’s assessment on Virat Kohli form It has not been Kohli’s best year when it comes to producing unreal numbers with his bat like he used to, showing a few glimpses of it here and there, and that has been a major thorn and concern for the team’s plans. But McGrath believes this series could be the turning point in his year and Australia should not take him for granted. “If they go hard at him, if he gets in the fight with emotions, there’s a bit of chat out there, who knows he might sort of lift,” said McGrath. “But I think he’s probably under pressure a little bit, and if he has a couple of low scores to start with, he could feel it. I think he’s quite an emotional player. When he’s up, he’s up, and when he’s down, he sort of struggles a little bit,” the 54-year-old added. The Australian is not wrong, as in the past we have seen how sheer emotions have outplayed even the worst kinds of situations Virat Kohli was put in. While Kohli’s form may have become unpredictable in his last years, one thing everyone knows is that they can back him up at any given scenario. His antics against Pakistan at the 2022 T20 World Cup come to mind. If we look past his recent scoring records, the Indian batsman has performed relatively well against Australia, that too across all formats of the game. As for the four Australian tours he has been a part of, he has averaged 54.08, which is well, more than ideal. India will certainly look to rely on the skills of the 36-year-old veteran whenever the going gets tough, as Virat Kohli will never not be a key player, regardless of his form.

“I honestly can’t think of a better finisher and greater white-ball player” : James Anderson lavishes praise on Virat Kohli In a career spanning over two decades, James Anderson, widely considered as the finest test bowler that has ever attempted to play the game, has had the privilege of squaring off against some of the greatest batsmen in the world. Most recently, the Englishman deemed who he thinks is the greatest white-ball finisher and batsman of all time. His answer was none other than one of his fiercest rivals in Virat Kohli. The Indian and Englishman go way back, having being put up against each other several times, and to this date, their rivalry leaves room for debate regarding who ultimately came out the winner between them. But the mutual respect that both legends of the sport share is second to none. Both have admired each other in several interviews and have acknowledged their impeccable skills and game knowledge. The 42-year-old took it one step further, after recognizing Kohli as the greatest white-ball finisher ever. “I do not know if there is been a better batter in the history of the game batting second” : James Anderson on Virat Kohli’s clutch gene In a recent interview with the Tailenders podcast, the Englishman admired the way the Indian batter finishes off games, while also achieving his own personal milestones on the way. “I do not know if there is been a better batter in the history of the game batting second and chasing down scores than Virat Kohli. His record at chasing is absolutely phenomenal. The number of hundreds he has scored in the second innings, chasing down scores is ridiculous. It is no surprise that when he gets in that situation, with his mentality, it is just like it is meant to be. His self-belief is so high,” said the former English bowler. When asked if Kohli is the greatest white-ball batsman ever, the 42-year-old also mentioned the name of Australia’s Michael Bevan, who was also known for his finishing skills coming way down the order. Although, Anderson did admit that alongside finishing Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batsmen in white-ball. “I cannot say that. I was thinking more in terms of just chasing. [As for the best white-ball batter ever,] Michael Bevan from Australia comes to my mind, particularly in the late 1990s and early 2000s – he was just phenomenal coming in at number six and doing that job, Kohli batting at number 3 gets those hundreds while Bevan was renowned for getting his 50s, 60s and being at the end, while Kohli gets the big score, to get his teams over the line. I honestly can’t think of a better finisher and greater white-ball players than him [Kohli].” the 42-year-old added. It is no surprise that the 35-year-old gets praised by fellow cricketers and analysts worldwide on a regular basis. The Indian batter has set a standard for himself that is hard for even the best to match with. Virat Kohli has been ‘the’ batsman alongside the other members of the ‘Fab 4’ to be compared with. Add the immense control over his fitness, age does not seem a factor for the star of the Indian cricket team to slow down just yet. Also Read: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Will Team India travel to Pakistan?

Shashank Singh’s makes big revelation following Amit Mishra’s “Fame and Power” Dig at Virat Kohli Virat Kohli was all over social media this week because of the controversy sparked by Amit Mishra’s comments about his personality changes with fame and power. After the leg-spinner’s statements, several cricketers have come to defend Virat Kohli, highlighting his evolution over the years. They praised the Indian batter for his personal growth and behavior. Among such cricketers is the Punjab Kings star Shashank Singh who shared one of his interactions with Virat Kohli showcasing his welcoming personality. Shashank Singh, in an interview, mentioned his interaction with Virat Kohli which left a lasting impression on him. It highlighted Kohli’s dedication towards the sport complemented by his kind personality. Shashank stated that after one of his IPL matches, Virat Kohli stood with him for  40 minutes or more engaging in a deep conversation about the sport and its various aspects including the mental preparation it requires, the importance of different techniques in sport and various other cricketing nuances.  “The way he was answering, it felt like, keep doing it, keep doing it. It felt like he is one of our Chhattisgarh players. He was so friendly, talking to me to help me understand. It felt so good to talk to him,” Shashank added. From his statements, it can be interpreted that Shashank was truly touched by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star’s actions and willingness to mentor young players. Shashank Singh heaps praise on Virat Kohli Amit Mishra’s statements ignited a controversy via statements in which he drew a comparison between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, saying the latter has remained the same over the years but the former has changed drastically due to the ‘fame and power’ he has earned. “I have seen Virat change a lot. We had almost stopped talking. When you get fame and power, they think people are reaching out to them for a purpose. I was never one of those. I have known Cheeku since the time he was 14, when he used to eat samosas, when he needed pizza every night. But there is a huge difference in the Cheeku I knew and Virat Kohli the captain,” he had said in a podcast. While Amit Mishra’s statements point towards changes in the Indian batter’s personality due to his success, it is evident that the reality may be starkly different. His intense aura and fierce personality sometimes may lead him to look intimidating but one should look further, and see his commitment to the sport and his supportive nature.