As Indian star batter and former captain Virat Kohli celebrates his 35th birthday today and team India has expressed their admiration for their fellow teammate.
Hailed as “King Kohli” by fans and admirers of his cricket, the 35-year-old cricketer is celebrated for his exceptional batting talent on the cricket field.
Kohli, who hails from New Delhi and celebrates his birthday on November 5, has been termed as one of the cricketing world’s finest batters, with his discipline and prowess making him an unmatched force in the game.
The right-hand batter will face South Africa at Eden Gardens today, seeking to preserve India’s unbeatable World Cup 2023 record.
To celebrate his birthday, the Men In Blue lauded Kohli’s commitment to the sport and his professionalism when representing Team India in a video released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Instagram.
“His hunger and his passion for the game are unparalleled. I have not seen anyone who is as hungry and as passionate as him,” said young Indian batter Shubman Gill, as he spoke about his senior colleague in the video.
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah commended the cricketer’s dedication towards the game.
“That fire and dedication towards the game after playing for so long has not fallen down. It only keeps on getting up. So that is something that I can also learn and everyone who watches the game, I am sure, learns a lot from,” he said.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya takes inspiration from Virat’s fitness culture, bond and his presence in the game.
“He has got the fitness culture. He has got the bond. He’s always there in the game. And that is something I think which will inspire, obviously a lot of us, but at the same point of time, a lot of millions of fans as well,” Pandya described.
Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who was also part of the video, credited the batter for changing how Indians think about cricket.
“He’s changed the DNA of thinking around Indian cricket. How one batsman needs to perceive it. How one batter needs to prepare for a game,” Ashwin said.
Rahul Dravid, former Indian batter and the team’s incumbent head coach, lauded Kohli for being a “legend” and setting a benchmark for his generation of cricketers
“Virat’s a legend of the game and especially this format [ODI]. All formats of the game, but particularly this one. The performances; the way he’s been able to finish games, the standard of his performances over the years has probably set a benchmark for his generation of cricketers,” the former Indian batter said.