'Virat Kohli is...': 1999 World Cup winning Australia captain's BIG STATEMENT about Indian star batter

Former Australian skipper Steve Waugh couldn’t hold back his admiration for Indian batting icon Virat Kohli, calling him ‘the greatest one-day player of all time’ and a ‘once-in-a-generation cricketer’. Kohli, who celebrated his 37th birthday on Wednesday (November 5), made his international debut in 2008 as a spirited youngster from streets of West Delhi. Over the years, he has climbed to legendary status, transforming the standards of ODI cricket with his unmatched consistency and hunger for runs.

A World Cup and two ICC Champions Trophy titles already adorn his illustrious career. With 14,255 runs in 305 ODIs, Kohli stands as the second-highest run-scorer in the format and holds the record for the most centuries (51). He is also the quickest batter to reach every milestone from 8,000 to 14,000 ODI runs. “Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are both all-time greats. Virat is probably the best one-day player the game has ever seen. Fans everywhere want to watch them, though it’s impossible for them to feature in every match,” Waugh was quoted as saying on Thursday (November 6).

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In his latest ODI appearance against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground last month, Kohli produced a vintage knock — a steady 74 (not out) off 81 balls — as India cruised to a nine-wicket win, chasing 237. His partner Rohit Sharma starred with an unbeaten 121 off 125 balls. Following their T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados last year, both Kohli and Rohit stepped away from T20Is. Despite their absence in the current T20I series against Australia, Waugh praised India’s dynamic new lineup. “It’s great that they’re still representing India, but the next generation is exciting too. Players like Kohli come along once in a lifetime — if you get the chance to see him play, you should,” Waugh signed off.